A New Leader
by Truly Human
Summary: What if it wasn't just Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad that day at Cadmus? What if there was another hero there with them? Enter Arcane, apprentice to Zatara and a magical prodigy. How will his presence change Young Justice? OC/Artemis, Robin/Zatanna, Superboy/Miss Martian.
1. Independence Day

Gotham. July 4. 12:00 EDT. Clear blue sky, birds chirping and families enjoying the summertime on picnics in the park. The only thing wrong was the attacking super-villain. (Ok, so maybe that is a kind of big problem.) Mr. Freeze strode through the sunny park freezing anything that as he was about to blast some freezing some fleeing civilians a batarang struck his freeze cannon, throwing it off target. "Batman. I was wondering when," he said turning around only to see nothing. A mocking laugh filled the area and freeze turned around looking for the source. Suddenly black boots slammed into the top of his glass helmet sending him sprawling. Robin, the boy wonder turned as soon as he landed sending two birdrangs into the helmet, cracking it. "Ah. The boy wonder. The bat sent you to drag me off to prison. Frankly I'm underwhelmed." The villain said standing up.

"Great, but I'm kinda in a hurry here." Robin said impatiently.

"Kids." Freeze sighed. "Always in such a rush."

"Not talking to you." Robin said in a slightly sing-song voice. From the ledge that Mr. Freeze had previously been standing on came Batman who's black covered fist knocked the villain out cold.

* * *

Star City. July 4. 9:01 PDT. It was just another regular day until Icicle Jr. decided he wanted to have a little fun. So he created a ramp in the middle of a suspension bridge, sending cars flying. He started laughing maniacally until five arrows sprouted from his ramp and another one from his shoulder that was larger thanks to him covering them in an extra layer of ice. A blinking red light on the arrow sticking out of his shoulder was the only warning he had before the arrows all exploded in quick succession. Holding his head for a moment he looked up and saw two figures, one dressed in green, the other in red each holding bows and notching more arrows at him. "Finally!" he grinned, once again reinforcing his arms with ice. "I was wondering what a guy had to do to get a little attention around here!" Then he launched a barrage of large ice spikes at the two heroic archers.

"Junior's doing this for attention!" Speedy said in disbelief as he and Green Arrow launched exploding arrows at the incoming projectiles. When more flew through the smoke the two ran and leapt onto one of the suspension cables. "I'm telling you now. This little distraction better not interfere." Speedy told Green Arrow. Icicle Jr. pulled his arms up to cover his face, creating a shield of ice in front of him. Two more exploding arrows impacted on the shield blowing a small hole in front of the ice controlling teen. Growling he threw out some more ice spikes at Speedy, only to have him vault over the spikes and fire a high impact arrow threw the hole and into Icicle Jr.'s face, knocking him unconscious.

Green Arrow chuckled at the sight of the unconscious teen. "Kid had a glass jaw." he laughed.

"Hilarious. Can we go? Today is the day!" Speedy said impatiently.

* * *

Pearl Harbor. July 4. 6:02 HTS. Aquaman dodged several cryo blasts aimed at him by the villainess Killer Frost. Instead they impacted on other parts of the ship. Finally getting hit with one of the blasts and encased in ice a younger brown skinned atlantean leapt over his head and charged the villainess. "Don't tell me you're not excited." Aquaman said as he broke out of his casing quickly and following his protege.

"Right now my king, I'm more focused on the matter at hand." Aqualad said avoiding several more freezing energy beams. Leaping over a blast aimed at his feet Aqualad drew two hilts from his back and using atlantean magic fashioned the water around him into two maces, attached to the hilts. Holding them in front of him as he landed Aqualad was able to protect himself from another cryo blast, bust his weapons were frozen solid into a block of ice. The younger atlantean swiftly brought the large chunk of ice up, slamming it into Killer Frost's chin, sending her flying back and into unconsciousness.

Aquaman walked up behind his apprentice with a grin on his face as Aqualad put the hilts back into their holders on his back. "Well?" he asked crossing his arms.

"Yes I'm excited." Aqualad answered honestly. "Today's the day."

* * *

Central City. July 4. 11:03 CDT.

Two blurs raced in a circle around a man dressed in blue and white outside a jewelry store with an ice covered hole in the wall. Frustrated the man fired shot after shot out of his freeze gun only to miss every time. "Stealing ice, seriously? Isn't that a big cliche even for Captain Cold?" Flash asked rhetorically.

"Come on! We don't have time for this!" Kid Flash groaned dodging a few more shots. Pulling down his goggles he raced at the criminal. He dodged out of the way of a shot that grazed his shoulder, plucking the gun out of Captain Cold's hand as he sped past. The criminal growled at the teen but the Flash's fist knocked him out before he could do anything.

"Calm down kid." The Flash chided, looking smugly down on the body of his fallen enemy.

"Oh please! You'll chat it up with cops, bystanders, with Cold even!" Kid Flash said waving his arms around empathetically. "No, no way! Today is the day!" he said with a huge grin on his face.

* * *

Metropolis. July 4. 10:25 EDT.

"Just stay down Boreus!" A man dressed like an old time magician said as he blasted a white skinned man with blots of light. The man screamed, sending a wide ranging blizzard at the man. The blast went on for so long that it seemed to slam into the sky summoning massive dark gray clouds that then began to snow.

This earned the intervention of a lightly armored boy with shocking blue eyes and spiky white hair. "I know you want to try and stop this guy peacefully Zatara but I don't think he's going to stop." the boy said floating into the air. The magically summoned clouds seemed to grow darker as they boy's eyes turned white and an outline of white light surrounded his body. Lifting up an hand he condensed the light surrounding his body into the palm of his hand. "This ends now Boreus!" the teen said commandingly. The white skinned man looked around nervously as the winds picked up. A blot of solid white lightning arced down from the sky and ricocheted of the boy's glowing palm and slammed into the man's chest.

Zatara looked on impressed with his apprentice's skill and power. The energy crackled along Remus's body for a few seconds, then he crumpled to the ground. "You've been working on that one Arcane." the magician said with a raise eyebrow.

Arcane shrugged, looking up at the dissipating clouds. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without his help though so it still needs plenty of work." he said cooly. "But," he said grinning,"Today is the day."

* * *

Washington D.C. July 4. 14:00 EDT.

Four pairs of super-heroes and their proteges were lined up in front of the Hall of Justice in D.C. "Today is the day." Batman said smiling slightly, putting a hand on Robin's shoulder.

:Welcome to the Hall of Justice." Green Arrow said.

"Headquarters of the Justice League." Aquaman intoned.

"And step one for you and your friends." Zatara told them.

Before they could say anything else Flash and Kid Flash zoomed up behind them. "Oh man, I knew we'd be the last ones here." he said crossing his arms.

The press went nuts as the League members walked the younger heroes toward the hall. "Is that Batman?" one asked. "Oh look! I see Flash and Flash Jr.! " another reporter said excitedly.

"His name is Speedy, duh!" someone else scoffed.

"No, Speedy is Green Arrow's sidekick." someone else corrected.

"Well that makes no sense." the other guy sulked.

Ignoring them the heroes continued their walk to the Hall of Justice. "Ready to see the inner sanctum?" Green Arrow asked Speedy.

"Born that way." the red archer smiled.

"I'm glad we're all here." Aqualad said looking at the other teens.

"Have all five sidekicks ever been in the same place at the same time." Kid Flash asked only to be cut off by Speedy.

"DON'T call us sidekicks. Not after today." he said calming down.

"Sorry." Kid Flash apologized. "First time at the hall. I'm a little overwhelmed." he said.

"You're overwhelmed, Freeze was underwhelmed why isn't anyone ever just whelmed?" Robin asked walking further ahead. "Oh, maybe that's why." he said looking up at the seven huge statues of the original Leaguers.

"It's the first day in the rest of our lives. I'm sure we'll have a chance to get used to it." Arcane said earning nods from the others. Doors labeled Authorized Personnel Only opened revealing Red Tornado and Martian Manhunter.

"Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Arcane. Welcome." The green skinned telepath intoned, turning and walking back deeper into the hall. Robin and Kid Flash bumped fists as they followed the martian. "You now have unlimited access to the gym, our fully stocked galley and of course our library." he told them into a large room with comfortable furniture, large screens on the walls and of course hundreds of books lining the walls.

"Make yourselves at home." Flash told them and Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad all sat down in the chairs. Arcane on the other hand walked over to one of the walls and started scanning for titles he didn't know. Speedy remained where he stood watching their mentors talking.

"A quick debrief to discuss five ice villains attacking on the same day. We shouldn't be long." Batman told them. Turning around he allowed a scanner that popped out of the ceiling to scan him.

"Recognized: Batman 02. Aquaman 06. Flash 04. Green Arrow 08. Martian Manhunter 07. Red Tornado 16." a computerized voice said as it scanned each of the Leaguers. When it finished as door labeled ,Justice League Members Only, opened.

"That's it?!" Speedy asked angrily causing the Leaguers to turn to look at him. "You promised us a real look inside, not a glorified backstage pass!" he told them, anger still clear in his voice.

"It's a first step." Aquaman said calmly. "You have been granted access few others get."

"Oh really?!" Speedy said gesturing up to a window where photographers were still taking pictures of them. "Who care which side of the glass we're on!"

"Roy, you just need to be patient." Green Arrow said stepping forward.

"What I need," Speedy said stressing the word. "is respect. They're treating us like kids! Worse, like sidekicks! We deserve better than this." he said turning to the other teens. Arcane stopped looking at books and the other three looked at him with blank looks on their faces. "You're kidding right?" he asked disbelievingly. "You're playing their game! Why? Today was supposed to be the day! Step one in becoming full fledged members of the league!"

"Um, sure." Kid Flash said leaning forward. "But I thought step one was just a tour of the HQ." he said confused.

"Except the hall isn't the leagues real HQ! I bet they never told you it's just a false front for the tourists! And a pit stop for catching zeta beam teleporter tubes to the real thing. An orbiting satellite called the watchtower!"

Flash and Batman glared at the green clad archer. "I know, I know but I thought maybe we could make an exception?" he said hopefully. Batman just narrowed his eyes. "Or not."

"You aren't helping your cause here son. Stand down or" Aquaman said, stepping forward.

"Or what? You'll send me to my room? And I'm not your son!" he said glaring at Aquaman. "I'm not even his." he said turning his attention to Arrow. "I thought I was his partner. But not anymore." he said taking off his yellow hat and throwing it on the ground. The other four stared in shock. "I guess they're right about you four." he said walking out. "You're not ready."

As soon as he left one of the comm screens activated showing the man of steel. "Superman to Justice League. There's been an explosion at Project Cadmus, it's on fire." he informed the mentors.

"I've had my suspicions about Cadmus. This may prove the perfect opportunity to"

"Reporting in to the big black Batman is the Demon Etrigan. The Sorcerer Wontan is doing all he can, using the amulet of Aten to bring the sun it's end." the yellow skinned demon rhymed over a smaller section of the comm screen.

"Superman?" Batman asked.

"It's a small fire. Local authorities have it under control." the man of steel replied.

"Understood. Then Cadmus can wait." Batman said pressing a button on the control panel. "All leaguers randevu at Etrigan's location. Batman out." he and the other heroes turned to face the teens. "Stay put."

"What? Why?" Robin protested.

"You're not trained," Flash started to say.

"Since when!" Kid Flash shouted.

"I meant you're not trained to work as part of this team." the speedster explained gesturing to himself, Batman and Aquaman.

"There will be other missions. When you're ready." Aquaman said.

"But for now stay put." Batman ordered as the mentors walked over to the teleporters.

"Glad you didn't bring you know who?" Green Arrow asked Martian Manhunter.

"Indeed." the telepath replied.

"When we're ready? How are we ever supposed to be ready when they treat us like sidekicks!" Kid Flash raged.

"My mentor, my king, I thought he trusted me." Aqualad lamented.

"Trust? They don't even trust us with the basics!" Kid Flash shouted. "They've got a secret HQ in space!"

"What else aren't they telling us?" Aqualad asked softly.

"I've got a better question." Robin scoffed bitterly. "Why didn't we leave with Speedy."

Arcane sighed, drawing attention to himself for the first time since Speedy's outburst. "You guys need to calm down and think. Why would the League leave their headquarters where everyone knows its location?" His words seemed to get the other teen's attention. "It makes sense for them to have secrets. I'll grant you they should trust us more but that doesn't override common sense." the white haired caster was pacing in front of the others now. "And you want a really good question?" he said with a smirk. "Why does Batman want to investigate a place we've never even heard of?" The teens froze.

"What is Project Cadmus?" Aqualad asked Robin, who as Batmans protege would be the most likely to have access to restricted information.

"Don't know." the boy wonder said slowly. "But I can find out." he grinned. Walking over to the central computer he began typing away at the keys.

"Access denied." the computerized voice intoned.

"Heh, wanna bet?" hitting a few more keys Robin soon began breaking through the firewalls at astounding speed.

It was Kid Flash who voiced the overall amazement of the other three. "Woah. How, are you doing that."

"Same system as the batcave." Robin crowed victoriously. Soon the Access Denied sign on the screen became an Access Granted notification before disappearing and leaving Robin to his work. It wasn't long before he had found the file they were looking for. "Project Cadmus. It's a genetics lab here in D.C." he read off. "That's all there is."

"A lack of information on a genetics lab is unusual for the league. And if Batman's suspicious we should check it out." Arcane suggested.

"Solve their case before they do. It would be poetic justice." Aqualad agreed, smiling at the spellcaster.

"Hey, they're all about justice." Robin grinned.

"But they said stay put." Aqualad sighed.

"For whatever it is Wotan is up to this time, they never mentioned Cadmus." Arcane pointed out.

"W-wait. Are you going to Cadmus?" Kid Flash asked Arcane. "Because if you're going I'm going."

The two turned to Aqualad and Robin awaiting their answers. "Just like that? We're a team on a mission?" Aqualad asked.

"We didn't come for a playdate." Robin confirmed. Aqualad grinned.

* * *

Over at Project Cadmus the local authorities were having trouble getting everyone out of the building. "Help! Get us down!" a pair of scientists shouted from a second story window.

"Stay put! We will get you out." the fire chief promised. But as soon as the words left his mouth the room the scientists were in exploded sending them toppling out the window.

As they were falling a red and yellow blur sped across the ground and up the wall catching the scientists and tossing them on the ceiling. Unfortunately for Kid Flash, tossing the scientists had cost him his momentum causing him to fall. He would have had a rather nasty landing too it he hadn't managed to catch the window ledge the scientists had fallen from.

"Look, it's what's his name, Flashboy!' the fire chief shouted excitedly.

"Kid Flash! Why is that so hard?"

"Soo smooth!" Robin said sarcastically as the three non speedsters arrived.

"Did he really have to run ahead?" Arcane asked frustratedly. "We need a plan. We need...Robin?" he asked as soon as he realized the boy wonder was no longer with him. A tap on the shoulder from Aqualad and some creepy laughter told Arcane exactly where to look to find the teen ninja. He ran across the firetruck, latched a grapple line to the extended ladder and landed neatly in the same window as Kid Flash, and helped him up.

"I need to borrow that!" Aqualad ordered, running up to the two firemen holding the hose. Taking out his water bearers and activating them causing both the lines on the objects and the lines on his skin to glow blue he took control of the water. Creating a funnel he used the water to lift himself into the air to catch the scientists that Arcane was lowering from the roof where Kid Flash had left them. Hopping off when the top of the funnel reached the window he lowered the men to safety making the water form a dome over the men for an instant to make sure they were not on fire. He waited a few seconds for Arcane's glowing white form to float down from the roof and into the window before moving to join the others.

"Thanks for all the help." Arcane said sarcastically when they entered the same room as Kid Flash and Robin.

"You guys handled it!" Robin defended. "Besides, we're here to investigate. Poetic justice, remember?" he said from where he was hunched over a computer, easily hacking its files. Arcane nodded for Aqualad to help Kid Flash while he checked out the hallways. The atlantean nodded and began helping Kid Flash go through some undamaged papers they found in a desk.

Walking into the hallway, the ping of an elevator caught his attention. Turning he saw a humanoid figure with large horns inside the elevator as the doors closed. "There was something in there." he said as Kid Flash, Robin and Aqualad rushed into the hallway behind him.

"Elevators should be locked down." Kid Flash said confused.

"This is wrong." Robin told them after running up to the elevator and pulling up a scan. "Thought so. This is a high speed express elevator, it doesn't belong on a two story building."

"Neither did what I saw on it." Arcane agreed. Walking over to the elevator Aqualad quickly pried the doors open.

"And that's why they need an express elevator." Robin said as they looked down at the extremely deep elevator shaft, going deep underground. Firing a grapple line at the ceiling he lowering himself down with Kid Flash and Aqualad jumping on the line behind him. Arcane simple glowed white and hovered down with them. They quickly passed Sublevels twenty-four, and twenty-five. "I'm at the end of my rope." Robin told the others. After jumping off the rope and landing on the rim of the elevator shaft it didn't take Robin long to hack into the security programs. "Bypassing security... there! Go!" he told the others as five green smiling Robin heads appeared on his hologram screen.

Aqualad pried open the doors for them to see a long metal hallway. "Welcome to Project Cadmus." Robin announced.

Kid Flash taking the initiative sped along the hallway to scout out what was ahead.

Aqualad barely had time to utter "Kid, wait!" before the young speedster nearly got himself run over by massive gray beasts with massive tusks and razor sharp teeth. Luckily for him they didn't seem to notice him. There was a whole herd of the beasts walking in an orderly two line fashion. All of the young heroes watched them go past with wide eyes. There were smaller gnome like things crouched on the beasts heads. It looked at them and it's small stubby horns began glowing red.

"Well, that obviously wasn't out of the ordinary." Arcane said sarcastically.

"No, nothing going on here." Aqualad agreed.

* * *

In a lab elsewhere in Cadmus,a man with long brown hair, dressed in a lab coat was working on something using the genetic materials of some of the creatures that he had in test tubes. Carefully he placed a drop of a pink solution in a clear liquid that had a strange blue crystal inside it. The crystal quickly dissolved thanks to the new ingredient and the new mixture glowed a bright shade of blue. The pinging of an opening door brought an irritated expression to the mans face.

"Doctor Desmond." a man dressed in a blue jumpsuit and a yellow helmet, complete with one of the smaller gnome creatures on his shoulder walked in.

"Tell me Guardian, what part of no interruptions did you not understand?" Desmond asked snidely placing the glowing blue vial inside a container with others just like it.

"A gnome on Sublevel 26 reports four intruders." Guardian informed him.

"Huh, did I miss a perimeter breach alert?" Desmond sighed.

"No."

"Then the gnome is confused. Whatever might occur in our fall lab above ground the real Cadmus is the most secure facility in D.C." Desmond boasted. Neither of them noticed a tall horned shadow behind them.

"My job to keep it that way." Guardian replied.

"Fine, take a squad." Desmond sighed, clearly frustrated with Guardians insistence.

"Might I recommend Guardian leave his g-gnome behind?" a tall thin g-gnome dressed like a doctor suggested entering the room. "If violence were to occur..."

"The little guy would be in my way." Guardian agreed.

"No!" Desmond said sharley. "The benefits of instant telepathic communication outweighs other concerns." Reaching down he rubbed the chin of another small g-gnome that sat on his desk. Its horns began glowing red, and in response the gnome on Guardians shoulder did the same.

"I need my gnome with me at all times." he said in a robotic voice. Tuning he clasped a fist to his heart and bowed slightly to Desmond before turning and walking out of the room. When he was gone Desmond turned back to his microscope.

A glowing red light on a pair of large steel doors turned green, deactivating the lock. The door opened, allowing the four teen heroes access to the next room. "Ok, I'm officially whelmed." Robin told the others.

* * *

Clear glass containers full of a different kind of g-gnomes. These ones looked more like fireflies, except with electricity being channeled from their bodies into a tall tower that was collecting the energy. "This is how they hide this massive underground facility from the world." Kid Flash explained.

"The real Cadmus must not even be on the grid. It's using the energy created by these creatures instead." Arcane nodded thoughtfully. "It certainly is an interesting alternative energy source. And the name makes sense."

"It must be what they're bred for!" Kid Flash said.

"Yes, the Cadmus of myth created a new race by sowing dragon's teeth into the earth." Aqualad informed Robin and Kid Flash.

"And this Cadmus creates life too!" Robin said walking over to a computer and pulling a flash drive attached to his glove out of one of the stripes. A holoscreen appeared as soon as he entered the flash drive. "They call them... genomorphs." he told the others as the went through the files. "Woah! Look at the stats on these things!" Robin said showing images of some of the different types of genomorphs including the giant ones and the little gnome like ones. "Superstrength, telepathy, razor claws. These are living weapons!"

"They're making an army." Arcane said, his eyes narrowed. "G-gnomes, g-trolls, g-elves, g-dwarfs, g-sprites."

"But for who?" Kid Flash asked.

"Hold on, I've got something else." Robin said pulling up a new file. "Project Kr. Ah, files heavily encrypted, I can't"

"Don't move!" an angry voice from the door ordered. Guardian, with a gold shield on his arm and a squad of g-elves behind him had charged into the room. "Wait, Robin, Arcane, Kid Flash, Aqualad?" he asked confused at seeing the four teens.

"At least he got your name right." Robin grinned at Kid Flash.

"Guardian, what are you doing here?" Arcane asked stepping forward.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? Last I checked you were learning how to control your powers from Zatara, not breaking into genetics labs." Guardian grinned. But Arcanes stony expression whipped that off his face. "I 'm chief of security, you're trespassing." he said in a more business like manner.

"Wait, you know this guy?" Kid Flash rounded on Arcane. "Yeah, he helped me out one time when Zatara was out of town. He's a hero." Arcane nodded.

"I do my best." Guardian replied modestly. "Now why don't we call the Justice League, figure this out."

"You think the league's going to approve of you breeding weapons?" Kid Flash asked disbelievingly.

"Weapons? What are you" but the horns of the genomorph on Guardians shoulder began to glow. "What have I, oh my head?" He groaned. Arcane narrowed his eyes. After spending so much time learning about magic it was almost impossible to not recognize the signs of mental manipulation, especially after what Robin had told them about the genomorphs being telepathic. Finally Guardian seemed to calm down. "Take them down hard!" he ordered the g-elf squad. "No mercy."

Robin leapt in front of the others as the person sized genomorphs attacked and threw a smoke pellet on the ground. While the Genomorphs were still confused he fired a line onto one of the ceiling supports and pulled himself up to it.

Kid Flash dodged swipes from one of the genomorphs. Jumping back he placed his feet on the wall and dove between two, rolled up a support and landed a flying kick to a third.

Aqualad wrestled with a genomorph briefly, before ripping it off of his back and kicking another away from him when he was rammed by Guardian, sending him rolling into a metal panel that bent beneath the force.

Guardian was prevented from attacking again when Arcane slammed a glowing white palm into his chest, sending him crashing into a wall. Reaching down Arcane placed a glowing white hand on his head. Guardian groaned but didn't get back up. Turning he Aqualad and Kid Flash raced out of the room and into another hallway with alarms blaring all around them. They paused for a moment when they saw Robin busily hacking an elevator control panel."Way to be a team player Rob!" Kid Flash hissed, racing up to him.

"Weren't you right behind me?" the boy wonder asked confused. The elevator door lights turned green and slid open when Robin finished his hack. They dove into the elevator and Aqualad and Arcane barely made it in.

"We're headed down?" Aqualad asked when he saw the yellow numbers increasing.

"Dude, out is up!" Kid Flash snapped at Robin.

"Excuse me? Project Kr, it's down, on sublevel fifty-two." Robin snapped back.

"This is out of control." Aqualad sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Perhaps, perhaps we should contact the league." he suggested.

"No, not when we're this close." Arcane said shaking his head as the doors pinged open at sublevel fifty-two. This sublevel was nothing like the other they had been in, instead of steel it was a red organic looking material.

"We are already here." Kid Flash shrugged as Robin raced out of the elevator. Aqualad sighed but followed the others out of the elevator.

"Which way?" he asked when they came to a fork in the hallway.

"Option one or two." Arcane said looking as far as he could down both hallways.

"Hold!" a new voice ordered. The human looking genomorph with large horns stood in one of the hallways. His horns started glowing red as the threw exploding canisters at the young heroes. Ronin threw a exploding disk at him but he stopped it telekinetically. The group hurried down the other hallway, canisters exploding behind them. "They are headed for Project Kr!" he told Guardian as he and his genomorph squad exited the elevator.

The doors to Project Kr opened as one of the doctors, a black woman with short hair and a clipboard came out looking satisfied. Unable to stop in time, Kid Flash ran straight into her. Looking at her in shock, surprised to see another human, when he looked back he realized that the closing doors read Project Kr.

Running as fast as he could Arcane waved his hand when he saw that the door was closing and surrounded it in a white silhouette that stopped its movement. "Go!" he ordered the others, struggling to hold the door and run at the same time. As soon as he made it through he dropped the spell allowing the doors to slam shut. When he turned around he saw that robin was already hacking into the closest control terminal.

"I disabled the door. We're safe." Robin told him.

"We're trapped." Aqualad said.

"Uh guys? You'll wanna see this." Kid Flash cut in. Hitting a button, he turned on the lights for the room. Inside a container with the letters Kr emblazoned on the front was a black haired teen in a white suit that had a red shield with an S inside it.

"Woah!" Robin said, voicing all of their thoughts.

Kid Flash was the first to recover and walk up to the container. Three of the little genomorphs sat in smaller containers above the boys head. "Big K little r! The atomic symbol for krypton!" realized. "Clone?"

"Robin, hack, now!" Arcane ordered.

"Right right." Robin said plugging in to the much larger controls in front of him. He had bypassed the programs security in no time. A small screen showing a close up of the boy showed up and Robin began reading off what he saw. "Weapon designation 'Superboy'. A clone force grown in... sixteen weeks! From DNA acquired from Superman."

"Stolen from Superman." Aqualad corrected.

"There's no way any of the league knows about this." Arcane nodded.

"Solar suit allows him to absorb yellow sun radiation twenty-four/seven!" Robin read off.

"And what about those?" Kid Flash asked pointing to the genomorphs on the screen.

"Genomorph gnomes. Force feeding him an education." Robin told him.

"And I can guess what else. They're making a slave out of Superman's... son." Kid Flash told them.

"After watching what these things did to Guardian I don't find that hard to believe." Arcane agreed.

"Now we contact the league." Aqualad said touching his belt buckle. It glowed blue but a second later Robins screen started beeping.

"No signal." he told the others.

"We're in too deep. Literally." Kid Flash realized.

* * *

Outside the door the genomorphs waited as the black haired doctor and Guardian tried to open the door. Soon Dr. Desmond came running up behind them. "They're still in there? With the weapon!" he asked incredulously.

"We can't get the door open." Guardian informed him.

"Use your telekinesis!" Desmond ordered the humanoid genomorph.

"I have tried. To no avail." the genomorph told him.

"Useless!" Desmond raged. "This is a debacle." he said walking up to Guardian. "Get some G-trolls down here to muscle the door open now." he ordered.

"Already on their way." Guardian said placing his hands on his hips.

"You realize once we get in there we can't ever let them leave." Desmond told him.

"Doc! These aren't your typical 'meddling kids.' You don't want to get on the wrong side of the Justice League." Guardian warned.

"Better than getting on the wrong side of the Cadmus board of directors, believe me." Desmond told him. "Contact the g-gnomes inside Kr." He ordered the g-gnome on Guardians shoulder. Closing its eyes the g-gnomes horns began to glow.

"This is wrong." Kid Flash said inside Kr.

"We can't leave him like this." Robin agreed.

"Set him free." Aqualad nodded.

"Do it." Arcane ordered Robin. A few holographic touches later and the capsule opened with a automatic hiss. The boys hand clenched into a fist. "Something is wrong." Arcane said, but it was too late. Blue eyes snapped open and in the blink of an eye he had charged forward and slammed into , knocking both of them to the floor. Then he began to punch him repeatedly in the face.

"Woah! Hang on Supey!" Kid Flash said as he and Robin leapt on the clone to try and stop him.

"We're on your side!" Robin grunted as he tried to keep his arms wrapped around the boys eyes. Slipping his hand free of Kid Flash Superboy sent him flying with a vicious backhand that sent him crashing through a class pillar. "I don't want to do this!" Robin said slamming a smoke pellet into the clones mouth. Coughing he fell back just enough for Aqualad to slam his foot into his chest, giving Robin the opening he needed to fire a high powered taser.

Looking down at the metal cords Superboy simply ripped the cords off his chest and used them to pull Robin to him. Slamming him into the ground then placed a foot on Robins chest preventing him from moving. "Enough!" Arcane yelled. Superboy was sent flying by a bolt of white light from Arcanes hand that sent him crashing into the table he had been resting on. Growling Superboy sped forward and grabbed the white haired teen by the front of his uniform and hurled him into Aqualad, knocking both of them out cold.

Walking past their unconscious forms, Superboy pried the doors open with ease. Everyone looked surprised at first, then Desmond walked forward with a smirk on his face. "Attaboy." he said as he looked at the unconscious heroes.


	2. Fireworks

A genomorph sat on Desmonds desk as he walked into the middle of his office. When he stood in the middle the lights dimmed ands seven screens lowered from the ceiling. Indistinct white silhouettes then appeared on the screens. "Dr. Desmond." one of them said. "You require an audience with the light?"

"Yes," Desmond said nervously, "Very sorry to disturb you at this late hour"

"Just get to the point." another of the seven interrupted.

"Of course." Desmond agreed, clearing his throat. "We had a small fire here at Project Cadmus, the origin of the incident is still unclear but it seems to have attracted some... unwanted attention. Four sidekicks Arcane, Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash breached security. They found and released the weapon, the superboy. Of course the clone is under our telepathic control and as ordered turned against his would-be liberators. The four are contained and we don't believe the League knows they are here. Uhh," he paused uncertainty showing in his voice for the first time, "what should I do with them?"

"Clone them." One of the seven ordered without hesitation.

"The substitutes will serve the light, and only the light." another agreed.

"And the originals?" Desmond asked.

"Dispose of them." one of them ordered. Leave no trace." A cold smile came to Desmonds lips as he heard those words.

* * *

Washington D.C. July 5. 00:01 EDT.

"Time runs short. You must awaken. You must awaken now!" a voice ordered, echoing throughout the minds of the four captive sidekicks. Kid Flash gasped as he was thrust back into consciousness. The superman clone was standing there glaring at him. "What? W-what do you want?" he asked. The clones expression changed but other than that he did not move. "Come on, quit staring! You're creeping me out!" he snapped.

"Shut up! Or do you want him to fry your head by looking at you?" Arcane ordered.

* * *

"Prepare the cloning procedure for the new Project Sidekick." Demond ordered the black female doctor who was marking things down on her clipboard as they approached where Guardian was working. "Now." he ordered.

"Almost done here doc." Guardian told him as Desmond walked up. A g-troll was holding the door to Project Kr open while a smaller genome worked on repairing what had been damaged. Looking inside Desmond was shocked to see the clone missing.

"Where's the weapon!" he asked angrily.

"Superboy? He carried the intruders to the cloning chamber." Guardian said, confused by Desmonds anger.

"We have genomorphs for that! Get the weapon back in its pod now!" Desmond ordered.

"I don't see the harm in letting the kid stretch his legs." Guardian said, raising his hands to emphasise his confusion.

"Don't you now?" Desmond asked coldly just before the horns of the g-gnome on his shoulder began to glow.

The horns of the g-gnome on Guardians shoulder began to glow in response and Desmond waited a few seconds for the telepathic orders conveyed by the genomorphs to take hold. "No." Guardian shrugged, shocking Desmond.

"What?" the brown haired doctor asked sharply.

"I said I don't see a problem with letting Superboy have a little time outside his pod." Guardian repeated.

"Just get him back there!" Desmond ordered before storming off.

* * *

"We only sought to help you." Aqualad told Superboy. The four were restrained in pods not unlike the one Superboy had been in, except theirs had orbs full of clear liquid at the bottom.

"Yeah, we free you and you turn on us!" Kid Flash raged. "How's that for grati"

"Kid, please." Aqualad said shutting the teen speedster up. "I believe our new friend was not in full control of his action." As he Aqualad spoke Robin flicked a lockpick out of the index finger of his right glove and began fiddling with the restraints on his arms.

"Wh-what if." Superboy began. "What if I wasn't."

"He can talk!" Kid Flash asked in shock.

"Yes, HE can." Superboy said clenching a fist. The other three sidekicks looked at the speedster.

"Not like I said it." he defended himself.

"The genomorphs taught you telepathically didn't they?" Arcane asked.

"They taught me much." Superboy said. "I can read, write, I know the names of things."

"But have you seen them?" Arcane asked, a deep sadness entering his voice. "Have they even let you see the outside world? Let you see the sun?" he asked gently.

"Images have been implanted in my mind, but no." the clone said looking down. "I have not seen them."

"Do you know what you are? Who you are?" Aqualad asked.

"I am the superboy. A genomorph. a clone created from the D.N.A. of the Superman. Created to replace him should he perish. To destroy him should he turn from the light." Superboy said in what was obviously a programed response.

Looks of nervous tension passed over the faces of Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad, but Arcane seemed to be getting angry. "Being like Superman is an excellent goal, but you shouldn't be forced into it. You shouldn't be forced to become something by anyone." the spellcaster said vehemently. "You deserve a life, freedom just like everybody else. You deserve the chance at life of your choosing, beyond the expectations of Cadmus."

The look of surprise that had been on Superboy's face during Arcane's short speech quickly turned to anger. "I live because of Cadmus! It is my home!" he shouted.

"Your home is a test tube." Robin said. "We can show you the sun."

"Uhhh, I'm pretty sure it's after midnight. But we can show you the moon." Kid Flash corrected.

"We can show you, introduce you, to Superman." Aqualad added. A look of hope came over Superboy's face when he heard what Aqualad said.

"No, they can't." a cold voice said from the door. Dr. Desmond was walking in, followed by the black doctor and Guardian. "They'll be otherwise occupied. Activate the cloning process." he ordered the woman.

"Pass! The bat cave's crowded enough." Robin called out.

"Wait, cloning process? But these four are heroes." Guardian said confused.

"This is simple so that like with the weapon we have insurance should they or their mentors perish." Desmond said slowly, as if explaining to a small child. "Now get the weapon back in it's pod!" he ordered harshly.

"Hey! How come he gets to call Supey an it?" Kid Flash whined as Guardian walked up and put a hand on Superboy's shoulder.

"Please, help us." Aqualad asked the clone. Superboy shrugged of Guardian's hand and looked at him.

"Don't start thinking now." Desmond sneered. The g-gnome that had been on his shoulder leapt onto Superboy as he walked past, it's horns glowing as it began to assume telepathic control over him. Unnoticed by everyone but Robin, Arcanes eyes began to glow white at the same time as the g-gnome's horns. "You see you're not a real boy, you're a weapon and you belong to me." Desmond sneered. "Well to Cadmus. Same thing." he added as an afterthought. "Now get back to your pod!" Eyes narrowed Superboy turned and walked out of the door. Desmond looked over to the doctor and nodded. She nodded back and began typing in commands at the control panel.

Metallic arms reached up from the bottom of the pods and split into four thin needle armed probes that descended on each of the four heroes. electricity arced around their bodies as the probes began to download digital files of their D.N.A. as well as draw blood that was siphoned into the clear liquid filling the orbs below them. "Where's Dubbilex?" Desmond asked only for the humanoid genomorph with large horns to step out of the shadows behind him. "Oh, grr. Lurking as usual." Desmond growled. "Get the genomes downloading their memories. When that's done, delete the source material." he ordered making very sure that Guardian was out of earshot. "And find out what happened to Guardian. He's suddenly become resistant to the genomorphs telepathic control."

As Desmond gave his orders the red horns of the g-gnome on Superboy's shoulder turned white. "Superboy. You are alive, how that came to be is irrelevant. You do not owe Cadmus your life no matter how much they say you do. You have a right, a responsibility to make your own choices. You get to decide whether you want to be a weapon or a person. And now, you get to make that decision without interference." Arcane's voice, sent through the telepathic link between Superboy and the genomorph vanished and the small creature leapt off of his shoulder and disappeared down another hallway. The teens eyes narrowed as he raised them from the floor to look in front of him.

A large boom surprised everyone in the room. Suddenly the door was ripped out of it's frame and lifted above Superboy's head. The door was apparently linked with an intruder shut off switch for the cloning process for as soon as it was ripped off the electricity stopped and the probes retracted. Tossing the door aside Superboy walked into the room.

"I told you to get back to your pod!" Desmond said as he and Guardian tried to restrain the clone, only to be pushed aside effortlessly. Both of them flew backwards, Guardian hit Dubbilex and all three of them hit the walls before slumping to the ground.

"Don't give me orders!" Superboy growled at the scientists prone body.

"You here to help us or fry us?" Kid Flash asked wryly.

Superboy squinted. "Huh. I don't seem to have heat vision so I guess helping is my only option." he grinned.

At that moment the restraints around Robin's wrist's popped open and the boy wonder leapt to the ground rubbing them to get circulation back. "Ugg. Finally! Lucky Batman isn't here, he'd have my head for taking so long."

"Seriously? That's what you're worried about." Kid Flash said disbelievingly. "The whole League will have our heads after tonight!"

Robin didn't respond. Instead he reached over the back of the control panel and hit a button, opening the clear barriers around the other three pods. "You get Arcane, I'll get Kid Mouth and Aqualad." he directed.

"Don't you give me orders either." Superboy snapped but none the less easily broke the restraints around the sorcerers wrists.

"Thank you." Arcane said softly to Superboy who nodded in response.

"Y-you'll never get out of here!" Desmond blustered as the five teens rushed past him. "I'll have you back in pods before morning!"

"That guy is not whelmed. Not whelmed at all." Robin muttered, throwing out some exploding disks.

"What is it with out and this whelmed thing?" asked Kid Flash as they ran. The exploding disks struck each of the orbs that contained the drawn blood and detonated, destroying the lab. Desmonds rage grew as he watched the pods collapse.

"Activate every genomorph in Cadmus." he ordered as a g-gnome leapt onto his shoulder. It bowed its head as its horns once again began glowing red.

The red egg like things embedded in the organic walls began to glow, signaling the activation of the genomorphs contained inside. "We're still a long ways below ground, but if we can get to the elevator..." Arcane told the others as they ran to the elevator. Then a wall of g-trolls emerged from corridors linked to the main passageway. Behind them the eggs hatched into a veritable army of g-elves.

Roaring one of the g-trolls smashed at the heroes but missed. Not willing to give them another free shot the teens rushed forward. Clenching his fist Superboy landed a powerful punch to the attacking g-troll, knocking it out instantly only to be pressed flat to the floor by the punch of another g-troll. The other four however had in various ways gotten past the wall of g-trolls and were waiting for the clone. "Superboy! Let's go!" Arcane called out as Superboy began to pound another g-troll. "We're trying to escape, not fight! We need to move!"

"You want an escape!" Superboy yelled, enraged. Grabbing a fallen g-troll by the arm he flung it into the last two standing.

Aqualad pried the elevator doors open only to realize that the elevator itself was missing. Kid Flash leapt nimbly onto the inside ledge of the shaft, Robin fired a grappling hook, Arcane began to glow white and lifted into the air and Superboy grabbed Aqualad and leapt into the air. But for some reason he didn't stay there like Superman would have. "I-I'm falling" he said in shock. Seeing the two falling Arcane threw out a hand and suddenly they too were surrounded by a white light. "Superman can fly." Superboy said. "Why can't I fly?"

"Don't know." Kid Flash shrugged. "But it looks like you can still leap tall buildings in a single bound. Still cool." Arcane was struggling to keep all three of them aloft and carefully set Aqualad and Superboy down on a ledge next to Kid Flash.

"Thank you." Superboy said quietly to the white haired teen.

"We're even." Arcane nodded.

"Guys! This stop has to be out exit!" Robin called out, pointing at the elevator that was currently speeding down at them. Superboy quickly busted the door open and the five heroes emerged on Sublevel fifteen. A squad of g-elves was already there waiting for them with g-trolls arriving as backup. The teens quickly ran down a hallway to their right.

"Turn left brother." a voice echoed in Superboy's head. He was unsure for a moment of whether or not to listen to the voice but it didn't look like they had many options.

"Go left!" he told the others. "Left!"

"Turn right."

"Right!" he kept running only to find themselves in a dead-end with only a vent in the wall.

"Great directions Supey. Are you trying to get us repodded?" Kid Flash snapped.

"No. I, I don't understand." the clone said confused.

"Don't apologize!" an elated Robin said. "This is perfect!" And so when the g-trolls and g-elves arrived at the dead end all they saw was an open vent whose gate was leaning on one of the walls.

"Gah, at this rate we'll never get out." Kid Flash grumbled as the five crawled along the ventilation shaft.

"Shhh. Listen." Superboy hushed. It was a clicking, and the screech of a genomorph meaning only one thing. The g-elves had followed them.

* * *

Desmond, Guardian and Dubbilex raced down one of the many hallways on that sublevel, being directed by a miniature security screen. "Someone, Robin I'd wager, hacked our systems deactivating internal security cameras." the doctor grumbled. "But he neglected the motion sensors." He crowed victoriously. "The genomorphs are closing in." He said as they approached the mens bathroom. "They're all coming out in here. We have them cornered!" he exclaimed happily entering the bathroom and approaching the vent. Then the vent burst open and g-eles came toppling out, landing on top of Desmond. Desmond growled, "He hacked the motion sensors."

* * *

"I hacked the motion sensors." a crouching Robin grinned mischievously at his companions while typing a bit more on his holographic keyboard.

"Sweet," A standing Kid Flash said revealing that they were no longer inside the vents. "Still plenty of them between us and out but I've finally got room to move!" the speedster grinned and lowering his goggles opened a door and raced up a staircase next to him. As he ran Kid Flash saw the squad of g-elves running down. Narrowing his eyes the teen sped through them, knocking them against the walls out cold.

"More behind us!" Robin yelled as they ran, looking up from his holoscreen which was still hacked in to the motion sensors. Pausing and turning around Superboy slammed his foot on the top step of the stairs they had just come off of. It separated cleanly under the massive strength of the teen and the g-trolls fell with the staircase.

* * *

Inside the elevator Desmond was panicking. "We'll cut them off at sublevel one." Guardian reassured him.

"We'd better. Or the board will have our heads." Desmond snapped. "My head." he said more quietly placing his face in his hands. Reaching out he pressed a button resembling a stop sign with a minus symbol inside it halting the elevator. "I need to get something from Project Blockbuster, just in case." He said exiting the elevator. "I'll meet you at sublevel one!" he said as the door closed on Guardians suspicious face.

* * *

Back on the stairs Kid Flash had finally reached the door to sublevel one only to watch as the security doors closed. "Oh crud." he muttered, unable to stop and ran straight into the reinforced steel door alarms blaring everywhere.

"We're cut off from the street." Aqualad said as the four others run up behind the speedster who was rubbing his head.

"Thanks, my head hadn't noticed." Kid Flash muttered sarcastically. Charging forward Superboy attempted to break down this door like he had the others but he didn't even leave a mark. After attempting to pry it open on his own didn't work he was soon joined by Aqualad while Robin tried to hack the doors controls and Arcane erected a barrier in the hallway behind them to slow down the genomorphs.

"Can't hack this fast enough." Robin told the others. Any other conversation was cut off by a g-troll smashing through Arcane's barrier, the backlash sending him stumbling into Aqualad. "This way!" Robin said kicking open a door next to him and leading the others through. The problem was they ran straight into Guardian and a wall of genomorphs. The way back was then filled by another wall of genomorphs, elves, trolls and gnomes.

Getting ready for the fight of their lives each of the heroes entered a battle stance. Then one by one the g-gnome's horns began to glow a bright red. The telepathic protection that Arcane tried to raise was crushed as easily as his physical barrier had been under the assault of so many minds and the five heroes dropped to the floor.

Then the genomorph Dubbilex strode forward as his own horns began to glow. "Perhaps, for the sake of all genomorphs, our brother Superboy should make up his own mind."

Superboy's eyes widened, he knew that voice. "It was you." he thought at the other genomorph.

"Yes brother. I set the fire and lured your new friends down into Cadmus and woke them when they were in danger."

"And guided Superboy." a third voice cut into the telepathic conversation. Arcane had struggled to his knees and was regarding Dubbilex cautiously.

"You were able to listen in on my directions, and place a telepathic shield around Guardians mind, truly impressive feats." Dubbilex responded.

"But why?" Superboy asked silently.

"Because you are out hope." Dubbilex informed him. "The genomorph hero. You will blaze a trail for all our brothers, showing us the way to freedom." as he spoke the g-gnomes horns dimmed and the one on Guardians shoulder leapt down.

"Uhhh, what's going on?" Guardian asked confused, as if waking up from a dream.

Groaning Aqualad was the first to awaken. Superboy stood. "What is your choice brother?" Dubbilex asked.

Superboy closed his eyes for a second. "I...choose...freedom." The glow faded from Dubbilex's horns.

"Feels like, fog, lifting." Guardian murmured. The other three stood.

"Guardian?" Arcane asked.

"Go." Guardian told them, his voice steely. "I'll deal with Desmond."

"I think not!" Desmonds voice hissed. The genomorphs behind Guardian stepped aside to reveal Desmond holding a glowing blue vial. "Project Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to Cadmus." he said coldly before downing the vials contents. Snaps and grunts escaped Desmond's now convulsing body. The doctor fell to his hands and knees as the full effects of the concoction began to transform his body. His muscle mass increased so drastically it tore apart his shirt and lab coat. His eyes snapped open to reveal that they had turned red and black. The the most disturbing change, his skin was torn off revealing a grey skinned monster underneath. The transformation complete the new Desmond stood to his full ten foot height and roared. Superboy gritted his teeth and Desmond turned and grinned menacingly.

"Everyone back!" Guardian ordered charging at the monster only to get smacked aside contemptuously.

"Raagh!" Superboy shouted charging forward and punching the monster in it's face. Surprisingly the new Desmond didn't seem to take any real damage from the blow and responded with an equally powerful punch. Gritting his teeth Superboy leapt up and landed a barrage of blows to the creatures face only to be forced back by another powerful punch. Leaping into the air Superboy was tackled by Desmond. The force of the monster's leap took them clear through the reinforced floor and up into the commonly known Cadmus.

"Okay, that's one way to bust through the ceiling." Robin said as he fired his grapple line through the hole.

"You think labcoat planned that?" Kid Flash asked, grabbing hold of Robin and letting him pull him up.

"Somehow I don't think he planning anything anymore." Arcane muttered glowing white and floating up through the hole. Aqualad leap up after him in time to see Superboy held in the air by Desmond. The clone swiftly broke the monsters hold only for it to grab him by the legs and throw him bodily into Aqualad. Robin, Kid Flash and Arcane raced over to help them up. Together the five of them stood facing the creature. It roared challengingly. The obliged, charging the monster together.

Kid Flash rushed forward and slid between the monster's legs. The creature paused looking back at the speedster who was on his hands and knees right behind it. Turning back to the others the monster had no time to react as both Superboy and Aqualad slammed their fists into its face sending it tumbling over Kid Flash. "Learned that one in kindergarten." he quipped.

Robin leapt over his friend and hurled two exploding disks at the monster but it swatted them aside. Rolling onto its hands and knees the creature looked up to see Superboy standing above it. Superboy was about to grab it but the monster reacted faster than he expected and grabbed him bodily and slammed him into one of the support pillars around the room, snapping it in half. Superboy landed two punches to the monster but was slammed into the pillar again by the creature's fist. A bolt of white light slammed into the monster's side, blasting it away from Superboy and into a mace made of water that sent it tumbling into another pillar, cracking it, courtesy of Aqualad. Enraged the monster grabbed Aqualad by the throat and slammed him straight through a pillar and into another. The room began to shake and small rocks to fall as one of the supports was taken out. "Of course!" Robin realized, pulling up a hologram of the rooms supports. "KF get over here!" he ordered the speedster who was at his side instantly. Meanwhile Aqualad was getting repeatedly punched in the face by the creature but finally managed to pull out one of his hits and fashioned a shield out of water. Superboy ran over behind it and punched it twice in the back then leapt onto it, wrapping his arms around it's neck just as Aqualad's shield broke. Growling the monster threw Aqualad aside, grabbed Superboy off his back and slammed him through the pillar it had had Aqualad against. On Robin's hologram the bottom of one of the pillars blinked red and read 'Damage. Structural Compromise.' and disappeared. "Got it?" Robin asked.

"Got it." Kid Flash confirmed.

"Go!" Robin ordered. Just as the monster was getting ready to slam Superboy, who it held above its head Kid Flash leapt in with a superspeed powered punch to the jaw, ripping off what human skin had clung to the creatures face.

"Got your nose!" he taunted after realizing what had happened. Growling the beast threw Superboy aside and charged after Kid Flash.

Superboy stood angrily only to be stopped by Robin. "Superboy, Aqualad, Arcane!" the boy wonder shouted showing them his hologram.

"Come and get me you incredible bulk!" Kid Flash taunted. dodging to the side the creature's fist smashed through the pillar, but unfortunately as Kid Flash was running to another pillar a piece of the one he was just at flew into his back sending him tumbling to the floor. Rolling aside just as the monster came down where his body was. Kid Flash tried to build up traction to start running again but before he could he was punched in the back by the monster, sending him flying.

"This one and those two!" Robin told the others. Superboy ran up to one of the ones pointed out by the boy wonder and punched through what remained of it. Aqualad raced to the one beside it and smashed it with his water mace. Arcane ran over to his and placed his palm gently on the smooth surface whispering to himself, the a blast from his hand tore through the stone. Meanwhile Kid Flash had continued using the creature to destroy the support beams, moving so fast it could only hit what was behind him.

"Sorry, try again." he taunted. While all of this was going on Robin had taken out a piece of chalk and marked an X on the floor. Aqualad the sprayed out a torrent of water that Kid Flash in turn slid along. Charging after Kid Flash the monster was knocked on its back by a well placed punch from Superboy. Aqualad placed his hands on the water the creature was no laying on and charged it with electricity, shocking it badly.

"Move!" Robin called out. Looking up Aqualad saw that he had placed exploding disks all along the supports that his teammates hadn't gotten. The disks detonated, blowing away the last remaining vestiges of support the stone ceiling had. Before it could move the center of the ceiling landed directly on the creature. Sadly though the rest of the building came down with it. Superboy grabbed Kid Flash and Aqualad grabbed Robin planning on using their more powerful bodies to protect them but it wasn't necessary.

Arcane stood over them all his hands raised, and his eyes glowing a solid white. A shining dome of energy had been erected around them blocking the stones and protecting the teens. "Uunhh." He grunted as he lowered the field and stumbled back a few steps.

"Huh huh, we, huh, did it." Aqualad panted, sounding surprised.

"Was there, ever any doubt?" Robin grinned back. Kid flash grinned at him, and the two hi-fived the wincing as they aggravated their injuries.

Walking over Superboy looked down on the unconscious remains of what used to be Dr. Desmond. "See?" Kid Flash said walking up behind him, "the moon." he jabbed his thumb at the full moon which hung clear and large in the sky. Superboy looked at the moon in wonder, until a small shape, getting larger by the second entered his sight. Narrowing his eyes as he tried to see what or who it was he soon realized just what it was. "Oh, and Superman. Do we keep our promises or what?" Kid Flash grinned.

The expression on Superboy's face, Arcane noted, became one of a strange mix between awe and hope as the man of steel, followed by other members of the League, Martian Manhunter, Red Tornado, Captain Marvel and much to his chagrin Zatara landed in the rubble in front of them. Captain Atom, Hawkman, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl and Green Lantern Hal Jordan descended from the sky as well. Another Green Lantern, John Stewart landed as well, bringing with him Batman, Aquaman, Green Arrow and Black Canary. Batman walked up behind Superman and the Flash arrived behind him as well. It was a rather intimidating sight, the spellcaster mused, standing before some of the big guns of the Justice League.

Superboy strode forward. Superman's eyes narrowed as he noticed the similarities between the young man and himself, the widened with shock when he saw the S-shield on his chest. Superboy's face morphed into a hopeful expression, but then Superman squared his shoulders and glared at the teen with a steely expression. Superboy saw the signs of rejection and his face morphed into a mixture of anger and sorrow.

"Is that what I think it is?" Batman asked the group of sidekicks.

"He doesn't like being called an it." Kid Flash warned out of the corner of his mouth walking up next to Superboy.

"I'm Superman's clone." Superboy snapped. This statement caused many members of the league to look at each other in shock or trepidation.

"Start talking." Batman ordered narrowing his eyes into the famous bat-glare.

After the teens had finished their tale Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Captain Atom and both Green Lanterns flew off with what Arcane had started calling Blockbuster the League broke into groups to debate. Looking over at where Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman and Superman stood talking the green skinned alien noticed the clone's attention and placed a hand on Superman's shoulder and nodded in his direction. Superman looked over causing Superboy to glare away then look back slightly hopefully. Superman sighed, then squared his shoulders and walked over to where Superboy stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

"We'll ah, we'll figure something out for you." the man of steel said clearly uncomfortable. "The League will I mean. For now I, better make sure they get that Blockbuster creature squared away." he said turning around and taking off after the group that had already left. Superboy and Arcane glared after him until Batman's voice broke them out of their thoughts.

"Cadmus will be investigated, all fifty-two levels." he said walking over to them with the Flash and Aquaman in tow. "But let's make one thing clear,"

"You should have called." the Flash cut in.

"End results aside we are not happy." Batman continued. "You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again."

"Actually," Arcane said narrowing his eyes at Batman "I think we will." Walking over Aqualad placed a hand on his friends shoulder and nodded in confirmation.

"Aqualad, stand down." Aquaman ordered.

"Apologies my king, but no." the atlantean said with steel in his voice. Aquaman raised an eyebrow.

"We did good here tonight." Arcane said. "On our own, we did something not even the League, not even our mentors thought we were capable of. We forged something powerful tonight and did the work we were trained to do."

"What happened here made something powerful, important." Aqualad agreed.

"If this is about your treatment at the hall, the four of you," Flash began but Kid Flash cut him off.

"The five of us, and it's not."

"Batman, we're ready to use what you taught us, or why teach us at all?" Robin said stepping forward.

"Why let them tell us what to do?" Superboy asked stepping forward. "It's simple. Get on board or get out of the way." All five of them turned to face the remaining League members. Batman's eyes narrowed.

* * *

Mount Justice. July 8. 08:04 EDT.

Heroes like Green Lantern flew around an enormous cave moving massive pieces of high-tech machinery around, getting everything set up. The group in civilian clothes along with their mentors, Red Tornado, Black Canary and Captain Marvel stood in the center of the cave. "This cave was the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League. We are calling it into service again." Batman walked in front of the teens as he spoke. "Since you five are determined to stay together and fight the good fight you'll do it on League terms. Red Tornado has agreed to live here and be your supervisor, Black Canary is in charge of training. I will deploy you on missions."

"Real missions?" Robin asked.

"Yes, but covert." Batman replied.

"The League will still handle the obvious stuff." the Flash chimed in. "There's a reason we have these big targets on our chests." he said tapping his lightning bolt insignia.

"But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter." Aquaman told them. "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly."

"The six of you will be that team." Batman finished.

"Cool. Wait, six?" Robin asked confused. Batman in response raised his gaze to the not yet operational zeta tubes. Walking out of the shadows next to the Martian Manhunter was a very pretty red-haired girl dressed in a white shirt with a red X going from both shoulders to her opposite hip. She also wore a blue skirt with a red belt and yellow center, blue boots, blue gloves and a short blue cape with a yellow clasp.

"This is the Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian." Batman informed them.

"Hi." she waved a little nervously.

"Likin this gig more every minute." Kid Flash said to Robin. "Oh, welcome aboard. I'm Kid Flash, that's Robin, Aqualad. It's cool if you forget their names." he flirted.

"I'm honored to be included." Miss Martian said clasping her hands in front of her chest. Walking forward Kid Flash, Robin, Aqualad and Arcane all stepped forward to greet their new teammate.

"Hey Superboy. Come meet Miss M." Robin called out waving him over. As he walked over Miss Martians clothes changed. The white of her shirt turned black and the cape disappeared.

"I like your t-shirt." She said shyly earning a small smile from Superboy. Robin elbowed the clone and Kid Flash sped over and placed an arm around his shoulder.

"Today is the day." Arcane nodded to Aqualad.

* * *

Underneath the collapsed building that the team had used to defeat Blockbuster Guardian was taking command of the real Cadmus. "Cadmus changes today." he told Dubbilex and the female doctor. "With Desmond out of the picture the board's placed me in charge. Dr. Spense, you're acting chief scientist. No more g-gnomes suppressing our wills, no more secret breeding projects. This is a kinder gentler Cadmus."

"Then I will of course help in any way I can, brother." Dubbilex said, unaware that they were being watched.

"Can the light afford to leave Guardian in control without the g-gnomes?" one member of the light asked.

"We have subtler means of control." another said. "But what concerns me... is the children." An image of the five Cadmus veterans appeared on another screen, captured from on of the security cameras. Pfft. That's a dark twist."

"Yes," another agreed. "but one that can be played to our advantage. Even the temporary loss of the weapon may prove useful. Eventually, everyone see's the light."


	3. Welcome to Happy Harbor

Star City. July 17. 23:16 PDT

Several sketchy looking men were busy unloading cargo from trucks on a pier. Large storage crates were stacked all over the pier. Suddenly as two guys were carefully carrying a case and arrow sprouted from the ground at their feet. It exploded knocking both guys back and forcing them to drop the case. The case fell open when it hit the ground scattering guns everywhere. One of the guns skidded along the ground until it hit the foot of a large muscular red skinned man with white dreadlocks pulled back in a ponytail with a white beard dressed in a fairly fancy suit with a scarf draped around his shoulders who kicked it up and caught the weapon expertly. Three red lights on the barrel lit up as the man looked around for the source of the disturbance. A second later he saw Speedy, still missing his hat, glaring down at him from one of the cranes. "You again!" The man snapped, "I'm started to get insulted Green Arrow's not messing up my operations personally!" The barrel of the gun glowed the same red as the other lights an instant before a bolt of red light shot out of the gun as sped at Speedy. The archer ducked out of the way as the discharge exploded behind him. Deftly he leapt from place to place on the metal contraption, avoiding the following shots with ease. Running along a catwalk Speedy vaulted over one of the next shots, notched and arrow and fired it all in one smooth motion while he was still in mid-air. The arrow found its mark, the barrel of the man's high-tech gun, causing it to explode, covering the man in a cloud of smoke. When it cleared the man was unharmed by the explosion but the same could not be said for his suit. The jacket and scarf had been completely obliterated leaving the shirt in tatters. "Do you know what I pay for a suit my size!" the red skinned weapons dealer shouted angrily. "Scorch the earth boys." he ordered the four men behind him.

Before they could act through, a red and yellow blur sped past the two in the back knocking them over. Two disks knocked the guns out of the other two's hands before they realized what was happening. A red and black covered figure landed on top of one of the crates the disappeared between two more. Aqualad landed where Robin had vanished from, drawing his hilts and activating his water control, causing his normally back tattoos to glow blue again. Forming two whips made of water attached to the hilts the atlantean leapt forward swinging the tendrils of water into two more of the goons. Arcane flew in low, covered in white light, and fired off a beam of energy into a group of hired guns blasting them back into more of the crates.

Growling the red skinned man dug his fingers into the concrete at his feet and ripped out a large chunk of it and threw it at Speedy. The archer nimbly dodged and fired an exploding arrow which impacted on the mans shoulder making him grunt in pain but not enough to make him drop the new chunk of rock he was leap out of the boulders path, replaced by Aqualad who had changed his whips into a mace and a sword and cleaved the rock in two. Speedy in the meantime fired off a smoke arrow at the man making him cough as he inhaled the smoke. "The cave is perfect. It has everything the team will need." Aqualad said, allowing his weapons to disperse.

"For covert missions. You know, spy stuff." Robin said landing behind them.

"And wait until you see Superboy and Miss Martian. But I saw her first!" Kid Flash said zipping up the crate they were on and standing next to Aqualad.

"It's no orbiting satellite, but it's proof that we are getting somewhere, operating outside our mentors shadows." Arcane added landing next to the others.

Roaring in rage the weapons dealer picked up another huge chunk of rock and hurling it at the heroes. Sensing the danger they quickly split up, moving to different locations except for aqualad who formed his maces again and smashed the rock to dust. Coming out of his roll Speedy let loose three arrows that stuck to the mans chest, exploding in quick succession that once again made him grunt in pain and drop forward onto his fingertips but did no real damage.

The man chuckled, standing up straighter. "Tell Arrow he shouldn't send boys to do a mans job!" Speedy said nothing, simply notched another arrow. "Go ahead." The man taunted, spreading his arms out in an inviting gesture. Speedy fired the arrow, and like the others it stuck to the mans chest. Unlike the others however this one didn't explode. Instead it released a red foam that soon covered the man from head to foot before solidifying.

"High density polyurethane foam. Nice." Kid Flash grinned, speeding up to where Speedy was perched and giving him the thumbs up. Speedy turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

"So Speedy, you in?" Robin asked from where he was leaning against a crate along with Aqualad.

Speedy looked over his shoulder. "Pass. I'm done letting Arrow and the League tell me what to do. I don't need a babysitter or a clubhouse hangout with the other kids! Your Junior Justice League is a joke." he scoffed, making Aqualad stand up straighter. "Something to keep you busy, and in your place." he hissed walking into the shadows between two crates. "I don't want any part of it." The other four simple watched as the angry former sidekick strode between two crates and vanished.

* * *

Mount Justice. July 18. 11:16 EDT

"Recognized: Robin B 01. Kid Flash B 03." A computerized voice called out as the cave's zeta-tube teleporter activated and the two teens, now dressed in civilian garb stepped out of nowhere in a flash of yellow light. Robin was dressed in black pants, a green hoodie and black jacket and a pair of wrap around shades. Kid Flash was dressed in jeans, and a yellow t-shirt with a red overshirt unbuttoned on top. The two looked at each other and grinned before running to the middle of the room. It was a large circular room, mostly empty except for the holoscreens and the rest of the team, also in civilian clothes looking at the screens intently.

"Did you ask him?" Robin asked.

"What did he say?" Kid Flash urged.

"He's arriving now." Aqualad grinned. The Atlantean was dressed in black and blue jogging gear.

"He's not going to have anything for us." Arcane said shaking his head, his voice still clear despite the scarf he kept wrapped around the lower portion of his face even when not in uniform. The spellcaster was dressed in black cargo pants and combat boots, a gray t-shirt with a white cross covering the front of it and his signature white scarf wrapped several times around his neck and mouth, obscuring both from view with the ends trailing off down his back.

"Well it can't hurt to check." Miss Martian, who was currently dressed in a pink skirt, white shirt, a matching pink sweater, and slippers complete with knee high white socks, said optimistically.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kid Flash grinned holding up a fist before running out the door followed closely by Robin then by Aqualad. Arcane just looked at the other two shaking his head at the speedsters antics before following them outside alongside Superboy who was now dressed in cargo pants, combat boots, a black superman t-shirt and a leather jacket, and Miss Martian who was floating in the air next to them.

* * *

Outside the cave a section of ground lowered with a his, revealing a hidden entrance to the cave inside. As the six teens walked outside a red android suspended in the air by a red twister began to lower himself to the ground.

"Red Tornado!" Kid Flash greeted, waving enthusiastically at the android.

"Greetings." the wind controlling hero replied in a monotone. "Is there a reason you intercept me outside the cave?" he asked.

"We hoped you had a mission for us." Aqualad explained.

"Mission assignment it the Batmans responsibility." the android answered.

"But it's been over a week and nothing," Robin started to protest only to get cut off by Red Tornado.

"You will be tested soon enough." Red Tornado said holding up an hand to stop the arguments. "For the time being simply enjoy each others company."

"This team is not a social club." Aqualad reminded him.

"No, but I am told social interaction is an important team building exercise. Perhaps you can keep busy by familiarizing yourself with the cave." he suggested walking past them into the hollowed out mountain.

Kid Flash punched Robins arm in frustration and muttered "Keep busy." angrily.

"I told you to be patient." Arcane sighed, shaking his head.

"Does he think we're falling for this?" Robin asked incredulously.

"Oh, I'll find out!" Miss Martian said eagerly staring at Red Tornado.

"Recognized: Red Tornado 16. The caves computer intoned after scanning and confirming Red Tornado's identity.

"I-I'm sorry. I forgot he's a machine. Inorganic." She apologized. "I cannot read his mind."

"Nice try though." Kid Flash comforted. "So uh, you know what I'm thinking right now?" he asked flirtatiously.

"Tch, we all know what you're thinking now." Robin gripped elbowing him in the side.

"Ow." the speedster muttered.

"And now we tour the clubhouse." Aqualad said, obviously remembering Speedy's earlier comment.

"Well, Superboy and I live here," Miss Martian began, "we can play tour guides." she said looking at the black haired boy.

"Don't look at me." he responded when the others turned to look at him as well.

"We won't." Kid Flash said turning back around to look at Miss Martian. "A private tour sounds much more fun."

"She never said private!" Robin protested.

"Team building. We all go." Arcane said, his stern voice cutting off all arguments, even from Kid Flash. The blue eyed sorcerer then turned to Miss Martian and bowed slightly, gesturing or her to lead them into the cave. The green skinned girl blushed slightly as she turned and lead them into the cave.

Robin roughly jerked Kid Flash behind him by the elbow as the speedster tried to get close to the martian girl who was getting into her role as tour guide. "So, this would be our front door..."

"And this would be the back." She finished, leading them out onto a small outcropping of rock higher up on the other side of the mountain. "The cave is actually the entire mountain." She explained as they walked back inside.

"It was hollowed out and reinforced by Superman and Green Lantern in the early days of the League." Kid Flash continued.

"Then why abandon it for the Hall of Justice?" Superboy asked.

"The cave's secret location was... compromised." Aqualad explained.

"So they traded it in for a tourist trap?" Superboy asked, not seeing the logic. "Yeah, that makes sense." he scoffed.

"If villans know about the cave we must be on constant alert!" Miss Martian realized sounding worried.

Robin took her hand but before he could speak Arcane slapped a hand over his mouth. "No need to confuse her." he scolded the boy wonder. "Basically the principle is 'hide in plain sight'." he explained. "They believe that since they know about it we will never use it again so they would never look for us here."

"I smell smoke." Superboy said taking a few sniffs.

Miss Martian gasped in horror. "My cookies!" she exclaimed floating quickly down the hall. In the kitchen smoke was leaking from one of the ovens. Using her telekinesis the martian opened the oven and pulled out a tray covered in smoking black lumps. "I was trying out Grammy Jones recipe from episode seventeen of, heh never mind." she laughed nervously.

"I bet they'd have tasted great! He doesn't seem to mind." Robin grinned nodding at Kid Flash who was busy crunching down on some of the 'cookies.'

"I have a serious metabolism." he said sheepishly.

"I'll make more." Miss Martian replied sounding confused.

"It was kind of you to make any." Aqualad said.

"Thanks Aqualad." she nodded.

"We're off duty. Call me Kaldur'ahm. My friends call me Kaldur." he smiled.

"I'm Wally." Kid Flash said leaning over the counter, trying to look and sound smooth. "See I already trust you with my secret Id. Unlike mister dark glasses over here." he then said gesturing at Robin who put his hands on his hips and glared at Wally. "See, Batman's forbidden Boy Wonder from telling any his real name." the slight laugh in his voice prompted Arcane to smack him upside the head earning a yelp of pain.

"Mine's no secret." Miss Martian said cheerfully. "It's M'gann M'orzz. But you can call me Megan. It's an earth name, and I'm on earth now." she gushed.

At this point Superboy pushed off from where he had been leaning on the counter and began walking away. "Don't worry Superboy." M'gann said telepathically making him grunt in shock. "We'll find you an earth name too." she comforted.

"Get out of my head!" Superboy yelled angrily at M'gann making the others look at her as well.

"W-what's wrong? I don't understand." she said to the rest of them the same way causing everyone but Arcane to grip their heads. "Everyone on Mars communicates telepathically."

"M'gann stop!" Kaldur snapped at her making the green skinned girl jerk back.

"It's okay." Arcane said walking over and putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You just have to remember that things aren't the same on earth as they are on mars. Here nonconsensual telepathic communication is considered an extreme invasion of privacy to anyone who isn't experienced in its use."

"Besides, Cadmus's creepy little psychic g-gnomes left a bad taste in his brain." Wally said putting a hand to the side of his mouth conspiratorially and pointing at Superboy.

"I-I didn't mean to," she began verbally.

"Just stay out!" Superboy snarled, stalking over to their green couch and sitting down.

M'gann looked down sadly until a thought came to her and she hit herself lightly in the head. "Hello Megan! I know what we could do!" Using her telekinesis to make herself fly the martian lead them out of the room.

Arcane hung back though, intent on talking to Superboy. "You overreacted you know." he said softly.

"So?" Superboy replied angrily.

"So, you need to learn to control your temper. Otherwise you're going to make a mistake that gets someone else killed." Arcane snapped.

"Don't give me orders!" Superboy snarled standing up.

"I'm not. This is advice." Arcane snapped back before sighing. "Look. I'm trying to be your friend, we all are. But you need to be willing to let us in before that can happen." Holding out a hand he looked Superboy dead in the eye. "So, willing to give us one more shot?" he asked with a grin.

Superboy looked at the offered hand for a moment before smiling slightly. "One more shot." he agreed. The two teens then went to catch up with the others.

* * *

"It's my martian bio-ship!" M'gann said as the elevator doors pinged open. The it she was talking about was an oval shaped red pod with black markings.

"Cute." Wally commented. "Not aerodynamic, but cute."

"It's at rest silly." M'gann said.

"Woah, that's incredible." Arcane gasped when he saw the ship.

"What? What is it?" Robin asked.

"That whole ship is alive!" Arcane explained breathlessly. "A single living organism, capable of responding to telepathic commands it I'm right." he said looking at M'gann for confirmation. Smiling M'gann nodded and holding up a hand told the ship to wake up. The bio-ship the shifted from a pod to a ship with a cockpit between two somewhat triangular wings. With another wave of her hand the ship levitated slightly and turned to that the rear was facing them. The wall in the back of the cockpit flowed down, opening the ship and also forming a walkway at the same time.

"Well? Are you coming?" M'gann asked smiling at the gobsmacked expressions on the faces of Wally, Kaldur and Robin. Superboy looked indifferent while Arcane looked amazed. Snapping out of their dazes they then followed her onto the ship.

* * *

The inside of the ship was mostly purple and pink. The doors blocking their path melted into the walls at another mental command from M'gann revealing a virtually empty room. Chairs and control panels then formed from the floor up at another command. "Strap in for launch." M'gann said. Robin and Wally looked at each other eagerly then quickly sitting down in the chairs which then proceeded to strap them in.

"Woah!" Robin exclaimed when he was strapped in.

"Cool." Wally said casually.

"Red Tornado, please open the bay doors." M'gann asked when she sat down in the center seat. In response the reinforced concrete wall in front of them, separated by a small expanse of water, opened revealing the bright blue sky outside. As M'gann held out her hands, two glowing orbs rose out of the floor in front of her, held up by two curved bars made of the same material as the rest of the ship. As she placed her hands on them the ship levitated then shot out the door into the sky. The ship rose quickly and thanks to some mental commands from M'gann flipped around smoothly so that the ship was flying over the island.

"Incredible!" Robin told M'gann honestly as he looked up from the window.

"She sure is." Wally said with a lovestruck sigh. Arcane's eyes narrowed and flashed white for an instant as Wally suddenly felt a hand slap him on the back of the head. "I-I mean the ship." he said nervously when he noticed the spellcaster's glare. "Like all ships is a she."

"Fast with his feet, not his brain." Arcane said teasingly.

"Dude!" Wally protested.

"I think you might be protesting a little too much KF." Robin grinned at his friend.

Up in the front of the ship Kaldur leaned in closer to Superboy. "I might not have psychic powers but I can guess what you're thinking. You overreacted and you don't know how to apologize. Just say sorry." Superboy just looked back out the window silently.

Witnessing the exchange M'gann looked down a bit, somewhat depressed. "He'll come around." Robin assured her quietly.

"He doesn't seem to like me very much." she whispered back.

"You guys remember he has super hearing right?" Wally interjected, pointing at the stoic clone. Robin and M'gann looked in front of them surprised but Superboy gave no indication that he had heard them at all.

"Hey, how about showing us a little martian shapeshifting?" Robin suggested, eager to move the conversation away for the uncomfortable topic.M'gann smiled and stood up. Black began to creep up her body, eventually gaining extra colors and definition until, seconds after the process began, a female Robin stood before them. Looking over her shoulder at Wally M'gann did a little twirl and repeated the process, this time turning into a female Kid Flash, complete with cocky grin and struck a pose.

"Is it wrong that I think I'm hot?" Wally asked, starstruck.

"impressive!" Robin clapped as she changed back to normal. "But, you know you're not exactly going to fool anybody with those."

"Mimicking boys is a lot harder." she said shyly, sitting back down.

"And your clothes." Kaldur said confused.

"They're organic." she laughed. "They respond to my mental commands."

"As long as they're the only ones." Superboy said harshly.

"Superboy!" Arcane snapped, his eyes literally flashing with anger. Superboy crossed his arms stubbornly. M'gann looked down at her feet, hurt by his cruel comment.

"Hey, can you do that ghosting through wall thing that Manhunter does?" Wally asked, taking a leaf from Robins book and trying to distract the pretty martian girl.

"Density shifting?" M'gann clarified. "No. It's a very advanced technique." she said nervously.

"Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall." Robin told her. "He tries it? Bloody nose." he laughed gesturing at Wally.

"Dude!" Wally protested yet again.

Here's something I can do." M'gann grinned. From the outside, the red and black craft vanished from the front back, similar to M'gann's shapeshifting Arcane noticed. "Camouflage mode."

"I just realized something." Arcane said getting everyone's attention. "I haven't fully introduced myself. My name is Rorek, but most people know me as Arcane." he told the people he hadn't worked with before.

"Red Tornado to Miss Martian." the monotone voice came in over the ship's speakers. "An emergency alert has been triggered at the Happy Harbor power plant. I suggest you investigate. Covertly. I'm sending coordinates."

"Received." M'gann confirmed. "Adjusting course."

Pft. Tornado's keeping us busy again." Robin huffed.

"Well, a simple fire lead you to Superboy. We should find out what cause the alert." M'gann reasoned as she brought the ship down lower.

"I think I know the cause." Superboy said looking out the window at a small tornado headed right for them. Before M'gann could move the ship out of the way it had been swept up by the swiftly growing vortex, shorting out the camouflage mode. Everyone grunted as the ship was rocked about. M'gann managed to deftly maneuver the ship out of the tornado, using the extreme winds to slingshot them away from it so they could land safely. A hole opened in the bottom of the ship, allowing the six heroes to jump off.

"Robin, are tornados common in New England?" Aqualad asked. "Robin!" but the boy wonder was gone, his signature laugh already on the wind.

"He was just here." Miss Martian said confused, looking around for their teammate.

"Yeah, he does that. We need to move." Arcane said, sprinting for the main building. "Well that's not good." he muttered when he saw the windows on the upper levels shatter and explode outward.

"Gah!" Robin grunted as he was thrown into a pillar by twisting winds, courtesy giant in a red and black suit, with two blue cords from his hands leading to his shoulders. Whoever it was also had blue lenses covering their eyes and a brown scarf wrapped around their neck.

The other five raced through the front door. Superboy leapt forward landing next to Robin. "Who's your new friend?" he asked clenching his fist.

"Didn't catch his name but he plays kinda rough." Robin warned as Superboy charged.

My apologies." the person said in a clearly modified voice, complete with bad accent. "You may address me as Mr. Twister." he said before sending out strong winds from his robotic suits hands that succeeded in slowing down the black haired teen. Sending out another bust he formed a tornado under him that threw him away hard enough to make a small crater in the wall of the warehouse.

Looking at each other the other five steeled themselves for the coming fight. Wally got out his goggle, and Robin stood up groaning and Arcane began to glow white. then they charged. Racing forward Kid Flash launched into a full body double kick to Mr. Twisters chest which did nothing. The man then used the winds from his hands to throw the teen out the open door behind him. Turning back around he quickly sent out more tornados to intercept Aqualad, Arcane and Miss Martian. "I was expecting to be challenged by a superhero." he gloated to Robin, who was arming one of his exploding disks behind his back. "I was not however, expecting children."

"We're not children!" Robin growled, throwing the disks. Mr. Twister made a wall of wind to block them which was cancelled out by the explosion of the first disk, clearing the way for the second which he contemptuously flicked off.

"Objectively you are." Mr. Twister said as the second disk detonated off to the side. "Have you no adult supervision? I find your presence here quite...disturbing." he admitted.

"Well we hate to see you disturbed. Let see if you're more turbed after we kick your can!" Robin shouted back. Arcane nodded, signalling for Miss Martian to break apart a container above Mr. Twisters head, releasing a lot of smoke. With a roar Superboy leapt at him only to get blown back into Miss Martian. Robin and Aqualad charged, only to get picked up by a tornado ead and slammed painfully into one another.

Suddenly a bolt of white light crashed into Mr. Twister sending him stumbling back. "Let's see how you fight someone who doesn't need to get close." Arcane snarled.

"Ah. The 'sorcerer'. I will enjoy studying the technology that grants you your abilities." Mr Twister said confidently, sending out another wave of wind.

"You're as bad as Kid Flash." Arcane muttered as he dodged the wind. Concentrating Arcane muttered under his breath causing the ground underneath Mr. Twister to explode. Unfortunately this gave Mr. Twister the cover he needed to send out three different tornados at the spellcaster. They slammed into his hastily erected shield, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Yes that was quite turbing. Thank you." Mr. Twister taunted as he floated away on the powerful wind currents.

Wally sat up groaning in the trench Mr. Twister had dug with his body. Looking over at the warehouse he saw Mr. Twister emerging and assumed the worst. Charging forward the speedster rolled twice in front of the wind controller, cutting him off. "What have you done with my team?" he demanded.

"Embarrassed them largely." Mr. Twister scoffed before sending out another tornado that scooped Kid Flash up and sent it crashing into the building.

"I've got you Wally." Miss Martian told him as the smoke cleared and the lowered him telekinetically onto the ground.

"Woah, thanks." he sighed in relief.

"I would have thought you had all learned your limitations by now." Mr. Twister said from his place in the sky above them.

"What do you want!" Aqualad shouted at the giant.

"Isn't it obvious?" Mr. Twister laughed. "I'm waiting for a real hero."

"Miss Martian, read him. Find a weakness." Arcane ordered, not taking his eyes off their enemy.

"I thought I wasn't supposed to do that." she protested confused.

"It's okay with the bad guys!" Robin snapped.

Miss Martian closed her eyes, focusing on the foreign mind. "Nothing, I'm getting nothing." she told them. Then she came to a realization. "Hello Megan! Mr. Twister is Red Tornado in disguise! He's inorganic, an android. How many androids do you know that can generate tornados?" she said triumphantly.

"Red Tornado sent us here!" Aqualad said angrily.

"After saying we'd be tested soon enough?" Robin added. "This is his test. Something to keep us busy."

"Speedy called it." Kid Flash sighed. "We're a joke."

"Gra!" Aqualad growled slamming his fist into his hand the turning to face Mr. Twister.

"This game is so over." Kid Flash said as he and Robin joined the atlantean walking towards the android.

"We know who you are and what you want." Robin snapped as the three came to a halt.

"So let's end this." Aqualad said spreading his arms.

"Consider it ended." Mr. Twister agreed, raising his hands. Two tornados emerged from his hands and rose into the sky, not only forming another tornado between them but making the sky grow dark as the clouds became gray.

"An impressive show." Aqualad said pointing up at him. "But we will not indulge you. We will not engage!" Lightning began to flash behind the android.

"No." Arcane muttered looking up, his eyes widening.

"Uh, can Red Tornado do that?" Kid Flash asked when he saw the lightning.

"You think I am Tornado? Ironic." Mr. Twister said before blots of lightning blasted straight at them.

"Get down!" Arcane roared, suddenly in front of his three teammates. When the smoke cleared Arcane was standing with his arms raised, electricity crackling all over his body.

"Oh? Impressive." Mr. Twister mused.

"Oh trust me." Arcane said shakily. "You haven't seen anything!" he roared. Then with his eyes glowing white, he sent the electricity back even stronger than it was before. It slammed into the android, sending him cartwheeling back, smoke issuing from his damaged chest.

"Aarrg!" the android cried out as the shock registered. "It seems, we are at a stalemate. The rest of you should thank him." Mr. Twister mussed before floating away.

"He's getting away!" Superboy yelled, preparing to leap after him.

Superboy! Arcane needs medical attention!" Aqualad shouted to the kryptonian from where Arcane had collapsed, convulsing with electricity still sparking off his body. Nodding Superboy ran over and picked up the white haired teen, carrying him aboard the bio-ship and setting him down on a bed that the ship formed.

The team stood around in silence for a moment before Superboy rounded on M'gann. "This is your fault! You tricked us into thinking Twister was Red Tornado!"

"She didn't do it on purpose!" Kaldur defended.

"It was a rookie mistake. We shouldn't have listened." Robin sighed.

"You are pretty inexperienced." Wally agreed, not looking at the martian girl. "Hit the showers." he said not unkindly, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "We'll take it from here."

"Stay out of our way!" Superboy snarled, stalking angrily off the ship as it landed in the hanger, followed by Robin and Wally.

"I was just trying to be part of the team." she murmured, looking down.

"To be honest," Kaldur sighed, rubbing the back of his head, "I'm not sure we have a team." But as he made to leave a hoarse voice stopped him.

"We don't have a team because no one is willing to try." Rorek's voice was scratchy and low. "Get them back here. We have work to do." he told Kaldur.

"You need rest." Kaldur tried to protest.

"Now."

* * *

It hadn't taken long for Kaldur to gather the rest of the team outside the bio-ship. "Dude, It's great to see you up!" Wally cheered.

"Yeah." Robin agrees. "We thought you'd be down for the count after that lightning thing."

Rorek didn't respond. He walked kept his back turned to the as he spoke. "Has everyone here earned the right?" he asked and the others winced at how hoarse he was.

"What'd you mean? Of course we all deserve to be here." Wally said defensively.

"Is everyone here dedicated to what this team means?" Rorek asked quietly.

"Well, yeah." Robin shrugged. "Of course we are."

Then why," Rorek snarled rounding on them, "is it that at the first sign of difficulty you only trusted your own skills! And not only that but you ostracized M'gann for a mistake when you followed her instructions!" His voice couldn't get very loud but for some reason that just made it worse as the others lowered their heads in shame. "As far as I'm concerned," he said more in control, "the only ones on a team are M'gann and myself. If any of you want to join feel free but for now we have work to do." And with that he lead her onto the bio-ship with one hand on her shoulder.

Once the door of the ship closed Rorek's knees buckled. M'gann gently lowered him into one of the seats that rose out of the floor. "You shouldn't be straining yourself like that." she fretted.

"I have to." Rorek muttered shaking his head.

"No. You don't." a voice said as a hand laid on his shoulder. Looking up Rorek saw Superboy looking down at him.

"Not when you have us to pick up the slack." Kaldur said leading Robin and Wally inside.

"Besides, we still have a job to do." Robin grinned.

"And I kinda have to make up for what I said earlier." Wally shrugged sheepishly.

Rorek looked around at the other boys before grinning feraly. "Let's do this."

* * *

Tornados tore through town, picking boats up out of the coastal waters and sending them crashing down at the town below, and destroying buildings. "Certainly this will get the required attention." Mr. Twister assured himself as he directed the three tornados.

"You got ours! Full and undivided!" Kid Flash shouted launching into forward double kick that sent the android skidding back several feet.

"Immaterial and insufficient!" Mr. Twister scoffed. "You are a distraction I can no longer tolerate!"

"Raag!" Superboy yelled, descending from the sky and forcing the android to slide back. Mr. Twister began forming a tornado only for it to be disrupted as a blot of white light slammed into his face.

"I really like doing that." Arcane said snarkily, already looking and sounding better. Before Mr. Twister could react he was forcibly shoved into Superboy's vice like grip by Miss Marian's telekinesis. Gripping the android tightly by the arm and punching two holes in its chest before his last punch sent it sailing out into the ocean where Aqualad was waiting. Slamming an anchor into Mr. Twister's chest Aqualad channeled his power, turning his tattoos blue and sending out a stream of electricity blowing one of the androids arms off and the rest of it out of the water. Kid Flash then raced by ripping the remaining arm off and spinning him around. Robin quickly followed that up with a few exploding disks that sent it toppling over onto its front.

Rising up on its knees the androids chest opened with a hiss, and a middle aged man with brown hair dressed in a green and white jumpsuit fell out. "F-foul. I call foul." he stuttered nervously. Arcane landed in front of him glaring cooly. Raising a hand he sent out a blast of white, blowing a clean hole through the mans chest.

"Rorek no!" Aqualad yelled as he fired.

"What got into you!" Robin shouted. "You know we don't execute people!" he shouted at the older teen.

Rorek smirked. "Look closer." Leaning down Robin realized that no blood was leaking from the wound. Instead wires, sparking with electricity protruded. "That's why M'gann couldn't read his mind." Rorek explained.

Kneeling down Wally picked up an eyeball that had fallen out of the human android when Rorek had blasted it. "Cool. Souvenir." he said flicking it up and catching it.

"We shouldn't have been so harsh on you." Kaldur apologized, laying a hand on M'gann's shoulder.

"Forget that! You were totally amazing!" Wally said in his lovestruck way.

"Ignore him. We're all just turbed you're on the team." Robin grinned.

"Thanks. Me too." M'gann smiled.

* * *

Unknown to the heroes the androids other eye was still active and broadcasting the conversation to its creators. "Now Brom, aren't you relieved I didn't let you wear the armor?" a man with black hair dressed in a lab coat chuckled.

"Extremely Professor." A man who looked exactly like the human android dressed in a mechanics outfit said somewhat nervously, well aware of how easily his androids fate could have been his own. "But you're not upset?" he asked confused.

"I'm convinced that our tracking program was operational and the real tornado was somewhere in the vicinity." the other man replied. "Besides, you know science advances in fits and starts. Even failure can be instructive. And I'd say we learned quite a lot today." the man smiled.

* * *

That night at the cave the team was showing Red Tornado the remains of the destroyed android. "It was clearly created to sabotage or destroy you." Kaldur told him.

"Agreed." Red Tornado said.

"Is that why you didn't come to help us?" M'gann asked.

"No. This was your battle. I do not believe it is my role to solve your problems for you." the android told them. "Nor should you solve mine for me."

"But if you're in danger..." M'gann started but was cut off.

"Consider this matter closed." Red Tornado ordered walking deeper into the cave.

"Batman, Aquaman, or Flash. They'd have jumped right in to fix things." Wally said.

"Guess if we're gonna have a babysitter a heartless machine is exactly what we need." Robin said exasperatedly gesturing at Red Tornado's back.

"Dude, Harsh!" Wally protested.

"And inaccurate." came Red Tornado's monotone. "I have a heart. Carbon-Steel alloy. I also have excellent hearing." he said turning around to look at Robin.

"Ah, right. Sorry. I'll strive to be...more accurate." Robin said uncomfortable.

"And more respectful." Kaldur said placing a hand on Robin's shoulder and leaning down to look him in the eye.

"Speedy was so wrong." Wally said as the four who didn't live at the cave walked towards the zeta-tubes.

"This might just work after all." Rorek grinned.

On his way to his room Superboy paused and looked at M'gann for a moment. "Sorry." he said softly before going to his room, missing the smile that came to her face.

* * *

*For those that don't know the weapon dealer's name is Brick.

*Yes Arcane did always have the scarf wrapped around him covering his face.

*Based on the shape or Red Tornado's body I am assuming that he is 'male'.

*I know that I am giving a lot of Aqualads lines to Arcane, that will change later.

*I will call them by their civilian names when not in 'hero-mode'.

*Arcane heals faster because of the magic his body contains.

* * *

This was the first chapter that I really got to change around. I tried to play up Arcane's protectiveness of Miss Martian and still get the job done. I also tried to not have him steal the spotlight from anyone. Please review, it helps me know that there are people out there other than me who enjoy my work.


	4. Drop Zone

Santa Prisca. June 19. 00:43 ECT.

Vats of red liquid bubbled in vats and in beakers over flames as alarms blared. People dressed in red cloaks and black masks rushed around, armed for battle. The surrounded a group of thugs, lead by a man in a black and white mask. "Our sublime master proclaims he will depart this facility...if...one of you defeats his champion in single combat." one of the people dressed in red told the thugs in spanish.

The man in the black mask, who had been standing normally, as opposed to his companions who had their hands on their heads, brushed past them and grabbed one of the bars of a door in front of him that lead into an arena. "Just make it interesting." he replied, also in spanish as a buzzer sounded and he opened the door. Behind him the one in red who had spoken smirked. The masked man looked around the arena as the door closed. Guards, armed with automatic weapons were stationed all around the arena, on walkways on the floor above. His eyes narrowed when the door on the other side of the arena opened and a man who looked more like a punk rocker than a fighter stepped through. Both he and the redhead behind him smirked when they looked at him. The other fighter, this 'champion' was tiny, thin as a pole. A clatter behind him brought the masked man's attention to something that the red groups spokesperson had dropped on the floor behind him, a bracelet holding vials of red liquid attached to a chord. "You give me back my greatest weapon?" he asked warily. "What's the catch."

"No catch." the spokesperson told him. "It would hardly test his champions prowess if you were not at your best."

"You want my best?" the masked man asked, attaching the bracelet part of the contraption around his wrist and plugging in the chord to a holder at the base of his skull as the red liquid began to flow. The masked man grunted as his muscles bulged visibly, not just tensing but gaining a massive increase in size. "You got it."

The redhead behind the punk stepped up behind him and injected a bubbling purple liquid in through his shoulder. The 'champion' stood there, grinning psychotically as his muscles bulged, putting even the masked mans to shame. But the transformation didn't stop there. His skin turned green, and split at certain parts revealing the muscle underneath. By the time the transformation was complete the punk rocker wasn't even human anymore. In his place stood a green monster whose only trait to remain the same was the hair.

Roaring the beast charged at the masked man, bringing its arm down viciously. The masked man was able to block the attack but was forced back several feet. Pulling one arm out of the block the masked man let loose with an uppercut followed by a blow to the beasts chest. The blow did nothing. Snarling the beast grabbed the masked man by the back of the neck before landing its own blow to the masked mans diaphragm. Moving deceptively fast for something of its size the beast quickly landed two more blows to the masked man's face making him fall back. Savagely the creature grabbed his arm throwing the masked man into one of the pipes lining the arena walls before charging and slamming full force into him busting the pipe causing steam to escape. The beast the grabbed the masked man by the head and flung him out of the cloud of steam, landing painfully on the ground. Bellowing the beast leapt out of the steam, ready to finish the battle and to the shock of the thugs watching slammed it's fist onto the masked man's face. The man groaned as he fell into unconsciousness.

"Hail Cobra." the red spokesperson said, in english this time. "Hail Cobra." Soon the chant was picked up by all of the red wearing warriors. "Hail Cobra. Hail Cobra. Hail Cobra." a gray skinned man dressed in black pants, red boots, red arm guards and a red cloak stood smiling as he looked down at the creature in the arena. "Hail Cobra! Hail Cobra! Hail Cobra! Hail Cobra! Hail Cobra!"  
_

Caribbean Sea. June 22. 20:08 ECT.

The bio-ship flew silently over the dark waters. "we're approaching Santa Prisca." Miss MArtian informed the team. Arcane sat in silence, thinking back to the mission briefing the had received from Batman earlier.

* * *

The team stood dressed in their civilian clothes behind Batman and Red Tornado as he looked at several holoscreens, each showing information about the mission. "Isla Santa Prisca. This island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neo-steroid. A strength enhancing drug sold under the street name Venom." he informed the team, pulling up different information. "Infrared heat signatures indicate their factory is still operating at full capacity, but all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off. That's where this team comes in." he said as Wally popped another potato chip in his mouth. "This is a covert recon mission only." he said stressing the covert. "Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, it will." he assured them. "The plan requires two drop zones." he said pulling up two points on a holomap of the island labeled A and B.

"So who's in charge?" Robin asked quickly.

Batman and Red Tornado turned around sharply. They looked at eachother then looked back at the team. "Work that out between you." Batman replied causing Robin to grin.

* * *

"Drop zone A in thirty." Miss Martian said, snapping a still grinning Robin out of his thoughts. The restraints holding Arcane and Aqualad to their chairs retracted allowing the young heroes to stand up. Once they had the chairs melted back into the floor of the bio-ship. Aqualad pressed the atlantean A on his belt and the bright colors of his suit turned a muted dark grey. Arcane closed his eyes and the brightness just seemed to bleed out of his costume.

"Ready." Arcane nodded at Miss Martian making her blush a little bit before she snapped out of it.

"Putting bio-ship in camouflage mode." she told the rest of them. On the outside, the red ship melted into the starry black sky. Bringing the ship down lower Miss Martian opened a hatch in the belly of the ship that Arcane and Aqualad dived out of. Arcane's eyes flashed white as he propelled himself forward with magic in order to keep up with Aqualad. The two approached a net that Aqualad easily slashed through with water hardened into the shape of a blade from one of his hilts.

Before they got out of the water Arcane took something off his belt and floated it through the air above the sensors that lined the shore. Carefully he lowered it down on top of one of the sensors the nodded to Aqualad. "Sensors are patched and running on a continuous loop. Move in." The spellcaster ordered as he and Aqualad raced into the jungle.

* * *

"Drop zone B." Miss Martian said as she carefully lowered the ship. Standing up, the chairs and control sections of the ship melted into the floor. Holding out a hand Miss Martian called down hooks that Robin and Kid Flash hooked onto their belts. Kid Flash then pressed the lightning bolt symbol on his new, high tech, armored suit, turning everything not red either black or grey.

He looked at himself admiringly then turned to Miss Martian grinning. "How cool is this?" he asked.

"Very impressing." she told him. The closing her eyes the martian girl ordered her clothes to change. Changing from the boots up, her uniform became a skintight black one piece covering everything but her head and her hands, leaving only the cloak and red X on her chest unchanged.

"Uh, that works too." Kid Flash said, finally remembering how to close his mouth. Hey Supey," he said turning to the kryptonian clone. "It's not too late to put on some of the new 'stealth tech'." the speedster encouraged.

Superboy looked down at the black cargo pants Arcane had convinced him to change into for this mission then back to Kid Flash. "No capes, no tights. No offence." he said crossing his arms.

"It totally works for you." Miss Martian said making Superboy look at her. Her head was resting on her hand as she gazed dreamily at him. The she snapped out of it and realizing what she said began stuttering nervously. "As in you can totally do good work in those clothes." she finished holding up her thumb. Superboy looked away, his face still impassive. Miss Martian pulled her hood up and entered camouflage mode herself to try and get away from the embarrassment she was feeling.

Miss Martian, Kid Flash and Robin all lowered themselves gently to the ground. Looking up they barely got out of the way as Superboy landed hard on the ground. He stood up as the smoke cleared standing with a satisfied smirk inside a small crater. "Knew I didn't need a line."

"And yet," Robin snapped from where he had landed with his back against a tree, "creating a seismic event may not have helped us much with the covert."

Miss Martian lowered herself to the ground. "Arcane. Drop B is go." She said over the communicators.

"Head for the factory." he told them floating upwards, keeping close to the cliff Aqualad was climbing. "We'll track your gps and randevou ASAP."

"Roger that." Robin said from his crouched position, looking at a holoscreen that showed a map of the island with the others looking over his shoulder, then sprinting into the jungle.

* * *

They crept through the jungle, staying as quiet as possible. At one point Robin pulled up a holoscreen that showed four blue icons representing his group and a bunch of red icons, showing the enemy's defences, then creating a path between them. Suddenly a snapping sound stopped Superboy. "Did you hear that?" he asked the others.

"Uh, no." Kid Flash told him. "Wait. Is this a super-hearing thing?" he asked.

"You do have great ears." Miss Martian told Superboy dreamily.

"Okay Rob, now what?" Kid Flash asked, turning to the member of their group with the greatest amount of covert experience. Or, rather turned to where he had been. "Man I hate it when he does that!" Kid Flash gripped.

"Superboy, Kid, switch to infrared. See if you're being tracked." Aqualad ordered.

Kid Flash pulled down his red goggles. Glowing red lines went down the lenses and his vision shifted to a computer generated thermal mode. Down at the bottom of his vision the lenses actually read thermal mode in computerized letters. A targeting computer picked up on four moving targets and zoomed in on them. "Got a squad of armed bozos incoming." Kid Flash replied.

"Rushing over to a log with Kid Flash behind him Superboy narrowed his eyes, changing the spectrum that they saw. "Two squads." he corrected, his eyes landing on a group of six white figures. "But they'll meet each other before they find us." he told them as he watched the two squads approach each other.

Suddenly gunshots could be heard echoing through the jungle. "No super-hearing required now." Kid Flash quipped.

"Stear clear. Do not engage!" Arcane ordered through their comlinks.

"Yeah, yeah. Just as soon as I find Rob." Kid Flash responded. Racing along the muddy banks it wasn't long before he slipped, sending himself sliding and rolling down the slope and right into the middle of the firefight. Looking up Kid Flash came face to face with a heavily muscled man wearing a black and white mask. "So much for the stealthy." he muttered nervously.

* * *

The masked man looked down at Kid Flash the lowered his gun and fired. "Ahh!" Kid Flash grunted as he backflipped away from the man and took off running to avoid the bullets. He raced past people dressed in red who were also firing at him. Following the intruder the masked man was shocked when Superboy rushed forward and tackled him. The man landed an elbow strike to Superboy's head and placed him in an arm lock as they landed, using his other hand to keep the teens head pressed to the ground. Freeing his locked hand Superboy grabbed the front of the mans outfit and threw him into a tree hard.

Kid Flash ducked behind trunks and roots to avoid being punched full of holes by two of the masked man's followers. Suddenly Robin landed between them, throwing one away. "What is wrong with you guys?" he snapped as he swiftly took out the other one. "Remember, covert? Why didn't you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?" he asked.

"That's what you were doing?" Kid Flash asked as he finished taking down another thug. "Way to fill us in. We're not mind readers you know." he snapped at the boy wonder. Then two more thugs were thrown hard into a tree by Miss Martian making Kid Flash look at her. "Er, I'm not anyway." he corrected himself looking back at Robin.

"You told me I could only read the bad guys minds." Miss Martian reminded him.

Looking behind him Robin saw another of the guys dressed in red running at him but he was stopped by Aqualad who landed in front of him. Placing a hand on the mans chest Aqualads tattoos glowed and his arm crackled with electricity, shocking the man into unconsciousness before he stepped on his weapon crushing it. Two more were quickly subdued by nerve strikes from Arcane. "What part of do not engage did you not understand?" he growled, walking past Kid Flash.

* * *

"I recognize those uniforms." Robin told the others once they had restrained the two squads."They belong to the Cult of the Cobra."

"I am certain Batman would have mentioned it if he knew a dangerous extremist was running Santa Prisca's venom operation.

"Agreed." Robin said. "And since there's clearly no love lost between the cultists and those goons, I'm betting Cobra came in and tossed them out. That's why normal supply lines have been cut off." he finished triumphantly.

"We get it. Cobra wanted super cultists, mystery solved. Radio Bats and we'll be home in time for" Kid Flash started but was cut off by Robin.

"These cultists aren't on Venom. They're hoarding the stuff. We don't leave. Not until I know why." Robin said solemnly.

"Until you know why?" Kid Flash said incredulously.

"This team needs a leader!" Robin snapped back.

"And it's you." Kid Flash snapped. "Dude, you're a thirteen year old kid. Who ducked out on us without a word."

Robin laughed. "And you're a mature fifteen? You blew our cover first chance you got."

"Don't you wanna lead?" Miss Martian asked Superboy while they were still arguing.

Superboy scoffed and shook his head. "You?" he asked.

"After the Mr. Twister fiasco." she said holding up an hand.

"You did alright." he smiled at her making the martian girl blush and tuck some hair behind her ear. The Superboy's enhanced hearing picked up a new voice.

"Look at them argue!" it said in spanish.

"Free yourself and take them while they're distracted." one of the goons urged the masked man.

"Quiet." he ordered. "For now I play along. They'll give me what I need." Looking at them from the corner of his eye Superboy smirked.

"Yeah? You don't even have super powers!" Kid Flash said angrily.

"Neither does Batman!" Robin argued.

"Chuh, you're not Batman." Kid Flash said rudely.

"Chuh, closest thing we've got!" Robin shot back. They were interrupted by the laughter of the masked man.

"Such clever ninios, but you only know half the story. Let me show you the rest." The masked man urged. "Get you into the factory via my secret entrance."

"Miss Martian." Arcane nodded his head at the man.

"There is a secret entrance." she confirmed. "But he's hiding something." she told them as her eyes started glowing white.

"Stop." Arcane said putting a hand on her shoulder. "If he's trying to hide it from us then you're telepathy would take too long to extract the information from his head. Isn't that right Bane?"

"You know me. I'm flattered ninio." Bane laughed.

"Don't be." Arcane said, his voice cold. "Because if you hurt any of my friends then you're going to answer to me." he said, his eyes flashing white for an instant before returning to their regular blue. "So, what's your game?"

"It's not complicated." Bane replied. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." The young heroes looked at each other and Arcane nodded.

* * *

Inside the factory the Cult of the Cobra was busy. "Sublime master, they approach." one of the cultists said to his leader.

"Activate the radio jamming net. Nothing must interfere." the leader replied.

* * *

Standing atop a cliff Bane pointed the young heroes down, revealing the factory. Looking at the landing pad through special made binoculars Robin watched the proceedings carefully. Look at all that product." he whispered. "A buy is going down. But if Cobra's not selling to the usual suspects then..."

"We need to identify the buyer." Arcane nodded.

"Just what I was thinking." Kid Flash said in a slightly deeper voice than normal.

"Yeah. You're the thinker." Robin scoffed.

"Sarcasm? Dude, a real leader would focus on getting answers." Kid Flash told him.

Grunting Bane heaved aside a large rock that had been propped against the side of the cliff. Once the rock was out of the way a mine shaft was revealed. "Answers are this way." he said, gesturing into the mine shaft.

"So, now El Luchador is our leader." Kid FLash gripped making Robin punch him as he followed Bane into the tunnel. Once they got a ways in they came across a security door. Bane pressed his thumb against a scanner making a red light flash green before the door opened, showing the inside of the factory. Bane opened the door and peeked inside, then a small creak made him look down. Robin was crouched down, also looking out of the door.

"All clear." the boy wonder said, racing off.

"Has that little fool already been caught?" Bane asked as the rest of them walked out into the factory.

"No." Aqualad sighed. "He just does that."

"Stay put." Kid Flash said pulling down his goggles. "I'll get out intell and be back before the boy wonder."

"Kid stop!" Arcane hissed but the speedster ignored him, already racing off.

"Great chain of command." Bane said sarcastically. The other four just looked at each other.

* * *

Above their heads inside the control room a batarang stuck into a control panel that a cultist had been typing at. Before he could react it released a cloud of gas that quickly knocked the man out. Walking over Robin grabbed the cultist by his shoulder and dumped him off the chair then taking his place and starting to hack the computers.

"It's a massive shipment." Aqualad said as they crouched behind a stack of crates watching the cultists.

"But why are they only taking the new product?" Arcane wondered.

"Yeah." Superboy agreed. "They aren't touching this venom."

"Maybe freshness counts?" Miss Martian said uncertainly.

"Helicopters coming." Superboy told them, cutting the conversation off and Bane narrowed his eyes.

* * *

"Whatchu got?" Kid Flash asked, skidding to a halt inside the control room.

"Chemical formulas." Robin replied. "I'm guessing it involves venom but..." As he spoke he pulled up a chemical structure.

"This one's venom," Kid Flash said pointing at it with a candy bar he always keeps on him, "and this one's... woah. The blockbuster formula from Cadmus. Mixed correctly Cobra's new juice is three times stronger than venom. And permanent." the speedster gasped as he read off the stats of the new chemical. "But how did Cobra get access to Project Blockbuster?" he asked Robin.

"Our mystery buyer must also be Cobra's supplier!" Robin realized. "Using the cult to create a Blockbuster/Venom super formula! Robin to Arcane! We got," but he stopped when static sounded in his earpiece. "Static."

* * *

The helicopter doors opened and a man with short blond hair stepped out. He had a metal hockey mask covering his face and metal armor on his upper and lower left arm. Stepping out behind him was a man this time dressed in blue-grey armor covering his entire body. On his face was an orange metal helmet that was blacked out on one side with no eye hole. He had short white hair and orange metal bracers on bothe his feet and his hands, as well as several objects hooked to his belt. Slung across his back was a european style sword.

"Lord Kobra." the blond man greeted the lead cultist.

"Sportsmaster." the man responded. "The shipment is ready." A woman with red hair stepped forward and opened a case revealing five vials of purple liquid.

Sportsmaster took one of the vials from its case and looked at it closely. "The new kobra venom?" he asked.

"A complete success." Lord Kobra replied, motioning at the green skinned monster behind him. "Our friends will not be disappointed."

"This is a game changer." Sportsmaster said happily, tossing the vial up and catching it. "Finally, we can go mano a mano with the Justice League."

Above their heads Miss Martian floated in camouflage mode. "Arcane, sending you a telepathic image of the buyers now." she thought at the spellcaster.

Inside, Arcane was crouched on one of the catwalks next to Aqualad and Bane. "Sportsmaster? And Deathstroke?!" Both of them?" he whispered to Superboy. "Arcane to Red Tornado, do you read?" he asked through his comm. "Damn. First Robin and Kid Flash, then the League now Red Tornado. They're jamming us." he growled. "We need a plan. Now." he said closing his eyes to think.

"I have a suggestion." Bane grinned, then the luchador launched himself off the catwalk and onto the ground. He quickly took out one cultist of the two next to him, and managed to point the others gun away from him. But the gunshots alerted the green skinned mammoth outside.

"What is he" Aqualad began but was cut off by a loud roar as the monster crashed through window next to them, landing hard on the catwalk, destroying it and sending both itself and the young heroes to the floor. The heroes glared and got ready to fight.

"Destroy them!" Lord Kobra ordered and the monster rushed forward. Superboy charged forward and the two met in the middle and quickly began beating each other with their fists. Aqualad made a shield of water with one of his hilts and sticking the end of the other one through it fired off high powered jets of water that knocked several of the cultists off their feet. Arcane floated into the air, his body surrounded by a white silhouette sent out beams of light that slammed into the cultists. Bane chuckled from behind a vat.

Deathstroke narrowed his eyes as he watched several cultists being thrown around while all the heroes were occupied. Finally he spotted a slight have floating above the fight. 'There you are.' he thought, taking out a small knife and throwing it at the haze.

"M'gann get down!" Arcane shouted telepathically at the martian girl, knocking the knife out of the air with a well placed beam. Above them Robin and Kid Flash came out of the control room, running along another catwalk. Kid Flash zoomed one way but something caught Robin's eye. Aqualad backed up behind a vat, shutting down his shield as he took cover. Two cultists managed to sneak up behind him only to be nailed by a flying double kick from Kid Flash. On the catwalk he had just come from however three more cultists lined up and began shooting at the speedster who barely managed to get behind cover in time to avoid the hail of bullets.

"Miss Martian, comm's are jammed. Link us!" Arcane ordered as he dealt with projectile from Sportsmaster and Deathstroke as best he could.

"Everyone online?" she asked as soon as the link was up.

"Yeah." Superboy sighed after getting his by the mammoth again.

"You know it beautiful." Kid Flash flirted as he stood behind a pillar to avoid fire.

"Affirmative." Aqualad confirmed peeking around a corner.

"We need to regroup." Arcane ordered but was cut off by Robin.

"Busy now." Robin thought back as he snuck out to the helicopter Sportsmaster and Deathstroke arrived in.

"Batman must be desperate." Lord Kobra said from behind the boy wonder. "If he sends his whelp to task me."

"What's wrong Koby? You look disconcerted." Robin taunted.

"This is beneath me." Kobra said contemptuously. "Shimmer, take him." he ordered the red head who was shave on the right side of her head. Shimmer grinned, rushing at Robin. Robin grinned, flipping over her and getting into a fighting stance.

"Now Robin!" Arcane ordered mentally. Robin gritted his teeth but threw a flash bang as Shimmer rushed at his again. By the time she could see he had vanished. Shimmer glared at the spot he had vanished from but Kobra directed his eyes toward the factory.

* * *

Inside Aqualad was sending out whips of water to take out several cultists at once. "We need to retreat." he thought dodging more bullets.

"Kid, clear a path!" Arcane directed, sending out a single beam of light that split into many in mid-air, slamming hard into the cultists. Racing ahead of his teammates kid Flash slammed bodily into the cultists blocking their path and sped through the door they had come in through followed closely by Aqualad, Robin, Arcane and Miss Martian. Superboy landed near the door but the mammoth was on his in an instant. The clone pushed back for a second, then spun around, still holding the monsters hands, and hurled it into a group of cultists that were trying to catch them. Superboy slammed the door shut, staying still only long enough to make sure that the door locked before taking off after the rest of the team.

The mammoth barreled through the door like it wasn't even their then charged after the cultists flooded in behind the monster, firing after the retreating heroes. "Superboy, bring it down!" Arcane shouted over the gunfire. Superboy nodded, then swiftly punched through the wooden support beams holding the mine shaft up. The cultists fell back to avoid being crushed by the falling rocks. The green monster just looked impassively at the wall of earth between him and the heroes before turning around and walking back to Kobra.

* * *

A white light filled the room as Arcane held a ball of light in the palm of his hand. Robin stood staring at the wall that blocked them off from the factory. "How could me first mission as leader go so wrong?" he asked himself.

"You do have the most experience." Aqualad conceded. "But perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared." he said making the rest of them look at him confused.

"You have a specific role to fill when working with Batman." Arcane said lowering his hand but keeping the light in the middle of the room. "You don't need to talk because you already know what the other one is going to do. this team isn't like that. And to lead someone you have to be able to communicate with them. You can't just vanish and expect everyone else to play unknown role is a plan we don't know."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to hold everyone's hands!" Robin shot back angrily, whirling around to face the blue eyed sorcerer. "Gah who am I kidding. You should lead us Rorek. You're the only one who can."

"Please! I could run circles" Kid Flash started.

"Wally come on." Robins stopped him. "You know he's the one. We all do."

"Hello Megan! It's so obvious!" Miss Martian exclaimed.

"Could've told ya." Superboy agreed.

"There is no doubt that you are the best one to lead us." Aqualad smiled, putting a hand on Arcane's shoulder.

Everyone looked at Kid Flash expectantly. "Okay." he said finally, grinning at their new leader.

"I accept." Arcane said. "And I won't let you down. But Robin," he said making the boy wonder look at him. "when you are ready, I will step aside. You were born to lead this team. Not now maybe, but you will." Robin smiled and nodded at him "Alright." Arcane said back in mission mode. "Priority one is making sure that that shipment doesn't get off this island."

"Funny," Robin grinned. "I had the same thought."

* * *

"Sabotage." Deathstroke informed Sportsmaster as the helicopter.

"Robin?" Sportsmaster asked Kobra.

"Undoubtedly." Kobra agreed. "Find the problem. Fix it." he ordered Shimmer. Shimmer bowed and walked to the helicopter.

"Master," A cultists said approaching with the mammoth at his side "Should we send search parties after the intruders?"

"Don't absurd." Kobra said disdainfully. "They'll come to us." With that he lead the two mercenaries back toward the factory.

* * *

"Sportsmaster is the supplier slash buyer. But it still doesn't track." Robin told the others, looking at a holoscreen as they ran. "He doesn't have the juice to acquire the Blockbuster formula, or to get Kobra to do his dirty work.

"Neither does Deathstroke, but his presence here worries me." Arcane admitted.

"But none of them have the chops to bond Blockbuster with Venom. That took some major nerdage." Kid Flash added as they ran through the tunnel.

"I believe the expression is 'tip of the iceberg'." Aqualad said as they approached the end to of the mine shaft.

Suddenly Bane stepped in front of the entrance, dropping a vial on the ground at his feet. His muscles had also taken a serious increase in size. "Halt ninios." he told them, holding up a detonator. "I'm feeling...explosive." green lights blinked on around the entrance to the tunnel.

"You betrayed us! Why?" Aqualad gasped.

"Kid, get a running start." Arcane directed, looking around with his eyes.

"i want my factory back." Bane said, still smiling. "So I forced you into a situation where you would either take down my enemies, or die trying. If the later, the Justice League would certainly come to avenge their fallen sidekicks. And when the smoke cleared, Santa Prisca would be mine once more. Blowing the tunnel with you inside should have the same effect." Bane said holding up the detonator, not noticing the black blur that sped past him until his thumb didn't hit the detonation button. Looking down in shock he saw that his hand was empty.

"With what?" Kid Flash asked from his resting spot against a tree behind Bane. "This trigger thingy?" he taunted holding up the detonator. Roaring Bane tried to punch Kid Flash only to be yanked into the air by Miss Martian's telekinesis.

"Finally!" Superboy said with relish, walking under Bane's floating form. "Drop him." he told Miss Martian. The green skinned alien girl lowered her hand, dropping Bane right onto Superboy's uppercut.

* * *

Back at the factory, the cultists had finished repairing the helicopter that Sportsmaster and Deathstroke had arrived in. "The helicopter is operational exalted one." a cultist informed Lord Kobra. Sportsmaster, who was carrying the case began walking toward the helicopter with Deathstroke right behind him stopped when a grey blur raced through the cultist ranks, scattering them.

"Take the shipment!" Kobra ordered as more of his cultists began firing at the intruder.

Superboy landed hard in front of the helicopter, the shockwave sending two cultists flying. "Go again?" he grinned at the green monstrosity standing by Kobra's side as the smoke cleared. The mammoth charged, ignoring the cultist in his way who was knocked aside by Kid Flash. Suddenly a torrent of water slammed into it's side courtesy of Aqualad. "Sorry not the plan." Superboy quipped. Slowly the mammoth began fighting back against the water pressure Aqualad was exerting. Superboy was getting ready to help when he was shot in the back by Deathstroke holding an experimental laser crossbow. He continued to fire until a bubble of white lifted him away from the battle.

"Sorry, but it's just going to be you and me for a while." Arcane told him, rocketing both of them away from the battle. "Aqualad, follow the plan until I get back." the spellcaster ordered the atlantean through their telepathic link.

"You're fighting Deathstroke one on one. What if you don't come back?" Robin asked worriedly.

"They you stick to the plan." Arcane said grimly.

* * *

"So, do you have anything special planned for me kid?" Deathstroke asked as he set them both down gently in the middle of the forest.

"Not really." Arcane replied, his hands lighting up with magical energy. "Just removing the largest threat from the battlefield."

"They why not just keep me locked in your bubble. Or tie up that mammoth?" Deathstroke asked as Arcane cracked his neck.

"The bubble starts taking a serious toll if I use it for too long. Add that to the amount of raw power that thing can exert? Not happening. Not to mention the fact that you are the most dangerous person on this island right now." Arcane responded.

Deathstroke nodded his approval. "Smart. Let me guess. Your plan doesn't require you to be there. So you plan on keeping me here so I can't interfere." the mercenary guessed. Arcane nodded grimly. "Then let's get started." Deathstroke said, drawing his sword.

* * *

Sportsmaster had taken over firing at Superboy when Deathstroke was abducted. Miss Martian hovered behind him in camouflage mode, ready to act when the criminal backflipped on top of her, then wrapped an arm around her neck before continuing to fire at the clone.

Meanwhile Kid Flash raced by a cultists, the spokesperson of Kobra and knocked him out with a swift punch. "Souvenir." he said, holding up the mans black mask before speeding off again.

The next instant a bolo wrapped around Shimmer, unbalancing her and sending her to the ground hard. Kobra looked over and saw Robin standing nearby. "I know you hate getting your hands dirty." Robin said trailing off.

"True." Korba said pulling off his cloak to reveal the bald head, bare chest and greyish skin underneath. Two red bracers adorned his forearms and red boots of the same style covered his lower legs. The rest was covered by tight black pants. "But sometimes, even a god must stoop to conquer." Robin grinned and launched a flying knee strike that was blocked effortlessly. Robin dropped to the ground and tried to sweep his leg out from under him but Kobra simple lifted his foot a bit then grabbed Robins ankle when he tries a high kick and landed a powerful kick of his own, sending the boy wonder skidding back. "What's wrong boy?" Kobra asked when he saw Robin grit his teeth. "You look disconcerted."

Kid Flash continued to speed through the common cultists, taking them out swiftly while Aqualad continued to push the monster back with the current of water. Putting one of his hilts back in its holder on his back the atlantean stuck a hand into the stream he was making and channeled electricity through it as well, electrocuting the beast. The mammoth roared for several seconds before falling over smoking. Aqualad put the second hilt back as his tattoos stopped glowing.

Sportsmaster was backing onto the helicopter, keeping Superboy at bay with the laser crossbow, still holding Miss Martian captive until he had entered it completely. "Thanks for the workout but I gotta fly." he said, huling Miss Martian into Superboy. The two teens lay there for a moment, watching the helicopter fly away. The Miss Martian smiled and held up the detonator Bane had tried to use on them.

Inside the helicopter a green light blinked on a package of explosives that was attached to the wall. Miss Martian pressed down on the detonation button, turning the small green light on it red. On the helicopter the blinking green light on the explosives also turned red signaling the detonation just before it happened. Sportsmaster grunted as the entire helicopter jerked from the force of the explosion. Looking back at the flames then down at the factory it didn't take Sportsmaster long to realize that the ship was going down. Deftly Sportsmaster leapt from the falling craft and opening a parachute, descended into the jungle.

Elsewhere a tied up Bane growled as he watched the helicopter fall into his factory, exploding in a massive ball of fire. "I am plagued by mosquitoes!" Kobra growled, smalling a foot onto Robin's chest.

"Good!" Robin shot back. "Because this mosquitoe's might concerted over your pain!" Leaping back the boy wonder landed in front of Aqualad, Superboy, Miss Martian and Kid Flash.

"Another time then." Kobra said stepping back into the shadows and disappearing. Robin sprinted forward, trying to catch him but it was no use. Kobra was gone.

* * *

Arcane was sweating hard, his breath coming in short ragged gasps. Deathstroke was easily the strongest opponent he had ever faced. "Give it up." he heard the mercenary tell him. "I didn't get paid to fight you so I have no obligation to finish this fight. You're out of your league."

The white haired spellcaster was about to respond when a metal boot slammed into his head. "You're going soft." he head Sportsmaster chuckle at Deathstroke.

"Hardly." Deathstroke replied. "He really is impressive. Anyway, let's go."

Something pulsed in Arcanes chest in that instant, almost like a second heartbeat. Surging to his feet with a speed he didn't know he possessed Arcane ripped the sword out of Deathstroke's hand and pointed it at the two criminals. Swinging it down with a roar he sent out an arc of white light, carving a trench in the ground as it went.

Both villains barley leapt out of the way of the unexpected attack, Deathstroke still in shock that the boy had stolen his sword. "Alright." he conceded after a moment. "You can keep it." he said before vanishing into the shadows with Sportsmaster.

* * *

The bushes rustled, alerting the team to someone elses presence they got ready to fight just as Arcane stumbled out of the jungle. "Woah there." Superboy said, catching him by the shoulders. "Take it easy."

Arcane looked around at the wreckage. "Everything went according to plan?" he asked Aqualad.

"Indeed it did." the atlantean confirmed.

"We picked the right guy to lead." Robin said patting him on the shoulder. "Automatically make you the right guy to explain this mess to Batman." he laughed.

"And why do you have a sword?" Kid Flash asked, eyeing the blade in Arcane's hand.

"Souvenir?" Arcane shrugged. Kid Flash looked down at his black mask and back to the sword.

"Man, rip off." he gripped as Arcane stared into the fire.

* * *

Mount Justice. August 4. 01:06 EDT.

"A simple recon mission." Batman growled, his face close to Arcane's. "Observe and report. You'll each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes." he told them all, walking the line they were in. "Until then, good job." he finished more softly getting surprised looks from all of them. "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success. And how you chose who leads, determines character." he said this time earning smiles from everyone.

* * *

"All I recovered is a single ampule of Kobra-Venom." Sportsmaster said, holding up a vial of the purple liquid.

"Potentially.. it can be reverse engineered." one of them said in a thick french accent. "May what of your heroes. First Cadmus, the Misure Twister. Now Santa Prisca."

"Once is happenstance." another said. "Twice is coincidence. But three times in enemy action. And enemies of the Light must not stand."

* * *

*This was a very important chapter as most of you will understand. This was the chapter where I go to finally place Arcane in the position of leader.

*There are two reasons I had Deathstroke on the island as well as Sportsmaster. The first being so that I could get Arcane somewhat out of the way. The show's plan worked so well I didn't want to mess anything up by changing it. The second reason is what Arcane got from that battle. This will become more important later.


End file.
